16 



THE OOLOGIST 



— A GOOD time to secure birds is at dusk 

 about water courses, lakes and ponds. A 

 great many species come to drink at this 

 time, and amoug these some whose sliy and 

 retired liabits render them inconspicuous 

 at other times. A hirge number oi'Thrush- 

 es, Sparrows and Warblers are usually to 

 be seen on the streams at dusk bathing 

 and drinking. 



— An albino Sparrow, Passer flomesticus, 

 was killed in this city a short time since by 

 Mr. Wm. Ralph. Itwas almost pure white, 

 but its eyes were black. 



— The Ithaca (N. Y.) Journal relates 

 the following of a "kind-hearted" Chipping 

 Sparrow, which we suspect from the con- 

 tents of the item to refer to the harassed 

 parent of some big Cow Bird, reared in the 

 Sparrow's own nest. We agree, however, 

 with the qualification given to the Sparrow 

 by the Journal wlien it justly calls it kind- 

 hearted : 



" A gentleman liviug on West Buffalo Street no- 

 ticed a Chipping-bircl busily engaged in gathering 

 worms, and was much surprised to find that it car- 

 ried them to a full-grown bird in a tree near by. 

 The bird was about the size of the common Cat 

 Bird, but the gentleman was unable to determine 

 to what class it belonged. The large bird seemed 

 to be in some way ailing, and Mas faithfully fed 

 for over a week, notwithstanding that its appetite 

 was most voracious. Several times both birds were 

 observed together in the garden, but the small bird 

 always seemed to lead tlie way for the larger one 

 to where food might be found." 



— Mk. J. P. Davis of this city shot a 

 Ruffed Grouse havinjr one extra toe on each 

 foot — ten in all. This recalls a similar 

 circumstance of some years ago, in which 

 case the bird was possessed of six toes on 

 each foot. AVe should be pleased to have 

 our readers report to us any unusual occur- 

 rence observed by them, oologically or oth- 

 erwise. 



Recent gubUcatiou5. 



The Journal of Science, Toledo, Ohio : 

 E. H. Fitch, editor. — A scientific periodic- 

 al published monthly. On the first page 

 we notice an article by I). M. Marsliall, 



Oswego, N. y., entitled: "Notes on the 



Habits of the Great Northern Shrike," 



which, if authentic, is worthy the attention 



of ornithologists. The author has omitted 



the dates on which the nests were found, 



which should be considered an important 



item. We print the article entire : 



" Having made the habits of the Great Northern 

 Shrike or Butcher Bird {('on in-io hoimlix) quite a 

 study, and having collected a number of specimens 

 and eggs of the same, I will write a few words con- 

 cenaiug them, for the information of those who 

 don't know, and those that t/iiiik they know how 

 far south they are found. The first specimen I ev- 

 er obtained was about three miles west of Oswego, 

 N. Y. I shot both the male and female of the birds 

 and also got the nest, which was in an apple tree 

 about fifteen feet from the ground. The nest was 

 about the size of that of a Robin, and was made 

 from twigs and pieces of an old newspaper. It was 

 very nicely lined with poultry feathers and con- 

 tained five eggs of a light gray color speckled with 

 darker spots of a greenish brown. I found a nest 

 shortly after in the same locality in a thorn tree. 

 There were young birds in the nest, and while I 

 stood watching them, the old bird returned with 

 a field mouse, which she very cleverly suspended 

 by the neck on one of the thorns. I stood fifty 

 feet from the nest ; the bird was first flying toward 

 the nest with the mouse hanging from the bill by - 

 the neck. The bird alighted on a twig and holding 

 the mouse by the neck with the bill, pushed it up- 

 on a thorn and after it was impaled, it struck it 

 two or three blows by the bill on the liead to make 

 its position secure ; the thorn ran through the neck 

 of the mouse. It was only .5 or 6 feet from the 

 nest in the same tree. 



" Since writinii' the above paragraph I have re- 

 ceived the foll()\\ iiii^ facts from a fi-iend. He once 

 saw a Butcher Bird carrying a live garter snake in 

 its bill, which the bird adroitly affixed upon a 

 thorn. After the snake was impaled Mr. Whitmill 

 the friend mentioned, took the snake still alive 

 from the tlioru, it was about twelve inches long, 



" I have examined several mice and small birds, 

 which I have found impaled ui)()n thorns in this 

 manner and I think that the Butcher Bird produc- 

 es death by strangulation, as there were no marks 

 of violence upon them. I found a nest of this kind 

 about two weeks ago three miles east of Toledo, 

 0., in an orchard. The nest was about twenty feet 

 from the ground, and was built upon the top of an 

 old Robin's nest. I have found two of their nests 

 since then. I only write this to show that the 

 Great Northern Shrike is found further south than 

 a great many naturalists supjjose. If any of the 

 readers of the Joiirim! <if Scii me interesteil on this 

 subject are still in doubt, I will cheerfully commu- 

 nicate with them. " June 18, '79." 



The Fanciers^ Journal continues to pub- 

 lish interesting bird-notes. Dr. Wood's 

 list of the birds of Connecticut is represeut- 

 ! ed in each uumber by a treatise ou the hab- 



I its of one or more species. 



