182 



THE OOLOGISl 



coupon with each year's subscription. 



A few changes have been suggest- 

 ed. 



Manj- wish it mailed flat. If I get 

 financial support sufficient to warrant 

 this I will do so. 



Some desire it to be issued as a 

 new series, to begin all over at Vol. I., 

 No. 1. 



I hardly see how ths would add to 

 its value. 



Others ask for a complete index 

 from Vol. I. to date. This would be 

 too bulky to mail as one issue, and 

 would entail considerable extra ex- 

 pense. 



How much demand is there for it? 



In the immediate future, at least, I 

 expect to he able to give the Oologist 

 more of my personal attention. 



I hope to present through its col- 

 umns a new check list of N. Am. 

 Birds, giving the changes and addi- 

 tions since 1906; to use more of the 

 excellent photos now in my hands for 

 half-tone illustrations ,and also to be- 

 gin at the beginning of the A. O. U. 

 list with the Grebes, and devote about 

 one page each month to the descrip- 

 tion of one or more ibirds, showing 

 habitat, nesting and eggs and index 

 to contributions, treating of same, in 

 back issues of the Oologist. 



There are three back numbers that 

 I experience great difficulty in getting 

 enough for files wanted. I hope to be 

 able to reprint these in the near fu- 

 ture. 



I have always tried to protect our 

 readers from unscrupulous advertis- 

 ers. I have a few cases under investi- 

 gation now. It will not do to rush in- 

 to print with matters of this kind, as 

 there is often another side to such 

 complaints. 



In a few cases, where actual fraud 

 seems proved, the aggrieved party has 

 not consented to publication of the 

 facts. 



It is needless to state that unless 

 we are assured that restitution has 

 been made such persons, further ad- 

 vertising will be declined. 



If during the past year you have fail- 

 ed to receive a copy or more due you, 

 I will gladly supply you with a dupli- 

 cate on demand. 



Any one whose subscription expired 

 during the past year, and who sends 

 me $1.00 for two years in advance, can 

 liave the intervening issues of 1908, 

 from the last copy received up to De- 

 cember, sent free by mentioning the 

 fact when sending in subscription. 



In closing I repeat that the "Oolo- 

 gist's" future is entirely experimental, 

 and its fate rests with you. I do not 

 care for promises. I want cash sub- 

 scriptions, fresh, breezy notes on up- 

 to-date subjects, patronage for our ad- 

 vertising columns. 



If I get these the Oologist will be 

 self-supporting, and I ask no more. 



Hereafter all communications of any 

 nature relating to the Oologist should 

 be addressed to me at Box 173, Roch- 

 ester, N. Y. 



ERNEST H. SHORT. 



■ 



Petershurg, Va., Sept. 17, 1907. 

 Editor Oologist. 



Dear Sir:— On June 5, 1904, I found 

 a nest of the Ruby-throated Humming- 

 bird with a newly hatched bird in it. 

 The nest was situated on a small limb 

 of a cedar tree, about twenty feet up. 

 Returning to the nest a few days later 

 I secured the young bird, and as it was 

 so young, I took the nest also. I kept 

 it for about a week and a half, when 

 it became strong enough to leave the 

 nest, and as soon as it did so, I placed 

 it ill a small cage. The bird became 

 very tame in a short time and would 

 come from the cage and sit upon my 

 finger to drink the sweetened water 

 with which I fed it, and would chirp 

 very loudly when it was hungry. It 



