80 



THE OOLOGIST. 



May 27, 1879, at Inagiia, where they 



were found breeding in numbers among 



the mangrove. 



# — • 



General Items. 



Insects Destroying Eggs. — In the Sep- 

 tember Number of the Oologist the en- 

 quiry is made by a correspondent for 

 some method of preventing insects 

 from destroying eggs, and I am refered 

 to by you for information on the subject. 

 I have never been troubled with insects 

 in specimens prepared by myself. If 

 eggs are thoroughly cleaned and well 

 washed out there is little danger to be 

 apprehended from insects. In some of 

 my exchanges it has been otherwise. 

 Such eggs should be Avashed out with a 

 week solution of Carbolic Acid, this 

 will effectually destroy insects for the 

 time being. A solution of 1 teaspoon- 

 ful of Corrosive Sublimate to a pint of 

 water will answer the same purpose. I 

 have never had occasion to resort to 

 the last method and shall not unless 

 other means fail. Wm. Wood. 



Woodcock. — A Bangor, Maine, taxi- 

 dermist has lately stuffed a woodcock 

 whose breast is pierced by a twig from 

 side to side. Those birds fly in the 

 night, and this specimen probably flew 

 swiftly against the twig and was stabbed; 

 as it did not pierce the vital part, the 

 bird lived and the wounds healed iip, but 

 the presence of the twig in the bird's 

 breast stunted its growth somewhat. 

 The bird is mounted with the twig still 

 in its breast and extending about two 

 inches on each side. 



[We find the above in the Hartford 

 Courant. If any of our Eastern sub- 

 scribers know of the circumstances we 

 would like to hear from them]. 



Great Northern Shrike. — I saw on 

 November 3, 1880, a specimen that was 

 so tame as to let me approach within a 

 few few feet of it. On Nov 10 I saw 

 another specimen that attracted my at- 

 tention by its curious notes; which I at 



first supposed was some one blowing a 

 dog whistle with a buck-shot or some- 

 thing of the sort in it to give a rolling 

 note, he also had those lower notes 

 which resembled some of ihe Cat birds 

 yet they were quite unmusical. 



M. B. Griffing. 



A Rare Bird. — I have a bird in my 

 posession that was shot near here, and 

 has every appearance of being a wild 

 bird. It is a puzzle to all that have seen 

 it. It is the size and shape of the 

 Cardinal Grosbeak, back mottled 

 like a green Canary, with the head'cres- 

 ted like a Cardinal, the long feathers jet 

 black, below yellowish. Totally unlike 

 every North American bird yet describ- 

 ed. Yours Ti-uly, Fred. T. Jencks. 



Migration of Storks. — A Dutch paper 

 says : "The advanced guard took flight 

 about the middle of August 1878, and 

 were followed by the main body Sep- 

 tember 2, the birds comiug from the 

 direction of Pomerania and Mecklen- 

 burg, and following exactly the same 

 course as their predecessors of a fort- 

 night earlier date. The flock wns of 

 enormous size, numbering many thous- 

 ands. Owing to the unfavorable weath- 

 er the birds circled about unusually 

 near to the groimd, and we were able 

 to note distinctly how the young ones 

 were placed in the middle of the flock, 

 and carefully guarded on all sides by 

 their elders. Some of the latter ap- 

 peared to be detailed for the special 

 duty of keeping an eye on the tail end 

 of the flock, and encouraging the strag- 

 glers and loiterers by stiiking them at 

 intervals with their wings. The mi- 

 gration seems to have been conducted 

 in a very leisurely manner, the distance 

 covered in twenty minutes' time being 

 about half a German mile, or less than 

 two and a half English miles." 

 ♦ 



The Oologist. — To new subscribers 

 who wish to examine The Oologist, the 

 last six numbers of the present volume 

 will be sent,postage paid,for thirty cents. 



