192 



THE OOLOQIST 



been for years restocking the state 

 with Quail, with the exception of Phil- 

 adelpliia and Cameron counties, wliich 

 tlie report ingeniously says, "Philadel- 

 phia county, not adapted, because of 

 its dense population to the raising of 

 Quail," and "Cameron county whose 

 severe winters renders it impossible 

 to keep Quail alive unless fed." It is 

 not altogether true that Philadelphia 

 county is not conductive to the rais- 

 ing of Quail, for although it is the 

 smallest and most densely populated 

 county in the state in proportion to its 

 size, it has more idle, uncultivated and 

 farm lands adapted to the raising of 

 Bob-white, than probably any of the 

 other counties in this comomn wealth. 



Robert Robertson, one of the three 

 riggers who christened the statue of 

 William Penn, on the City Hall, when 

 it was completed, had in his possession 

 when he died, over two years ago, a 

 stuffed Flicker which, it was reported, 

 he took alive from a nest it had built 

 in William Penn's coat, a week after 

 the statue was in place. This is high- 

 ly improbable as the last portion of 

 the statue was placed in position on 

 the tower on November 28, 1895, un- 

 less it nested in the unfinished effigy, 

 which is also improbable. The bird 

 was undoubtedly caught alive in the 

 coat where it had either sought shel- 

 ter or a roost. 



Richard Miller. 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Beers Collection. 

 Henry W. Beers of Bridgeport, Con- 

 necticut, one of the best known oolo- 

 gists of that state, and whose death 

 has heretofore been noticed in THE 

 OOLOGIST, amassed during his life- 

 time, a very large collection of North 

 American Birds eggs, containing some 

 of the most splendid series in exist- 

 ence; particularly those of the Broad- 

 winged, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed 



and Sharp-shinned Hawks, besides the 

 Seaside and Sharp-tailed Sparrow, 

 Louisiana Water Thrush, and Blue- 

 winged Warblers. 



This collection Ye Editor has re- 

 cently acquired, and spent about two 

 weeks in Bridgeport packing and pre- 

 paring the same for shipment to La- 

 con. 



Owing to the magnitude of the col- 

 lection it will be a long time before it 

 is unpacked and arranged; but when 

 this is done, we will have, without 

 doubt, the largest and best exchange 

 list that exists in North America, for 

 we are not in a position to use in our 

 own collection, to exceed one-eighth of 

 the specimens we received. 



An Acknowledgment. 

 Ye Editor wishes to express his ap- 

 preciation of the courtesy extended 

 to him while at Bridgeport, Connecti- 

 cut, recently by Thomas J. Hawley, a 

 young and enthusiastic ornithologist 

 of that city, and a very intimate and 

 close friend of the late Henry W. 

 Beers, deceased; he having charge of 

 the final disposition of the collections 

 of the late Mr. Beers, which have been 

 purchased by us. 



No person could have been more 

 kind, more thoughtful, or more help- 

 ful than Mr. Hawley. Not the least 

 pleasant part of our association with 

 Mr. Hawley was an opportunity to 

 meet W. Winifred Dunbar, Otto C. 

 nestings, Mr. Ford and Game War- 

 den Williams, beside some other mem- 

 bers of the bird fraternity of Bridge- 

 port at the home of Mr. Hawley where 

 a very pleasant evening was spent in 

 the interchange of ornithological rem- 

 iniscences. 



