152 



THH OOLOQIST 



around the cotton and corn field after 

 the breeding season is over. 



Observations made of a pair of these 

 birds from which a set of eggs had 

 been collected, showed that within 

 forty-two days they selected a site, 

 built a nest, laid five eggs, hatched 

 them and raised the young. In other 

 words within forty-two days after their 

 first set was collected, they had fully 

 grown young . flying about. 



When flying, the bird goes in a di- 

 rect line with the long tail streaming 

 out straight behind; there is no undu- 

 lating motion as is observed in the 

 flight of most Passeres. 



The last Scissor-tailed Flycatchers 

 were observed on the ISth of October, 

 although the majority leave for the 

 south about the last of September. 

 Finlay Simmons. 

 Houston, Texas. 



Personal. 



The Editor returned to his office 

 after seven weeks' absence, on the 

 last day of August, and is again able . 

 to take up routine matters. Our cor- 

 respondence has got badly behind dur- 

 ing our absence but will receive at- 

 tention in due time. All that those 

 awaiting reply need is a little pa- 

 tience, and in due time we will also 

 enlighten our readers on some things 

 that we observed during our absence, 

 during which we met many of the 

 leading ornithologists of the East. 



Our old friend, Charles Russell 

 Orcutt of San Diego, California, is at 

 it again. We are in receipt of Vol- 

 ume I No. 1, August, 1913, of OR- 

 CUTT'S MEXICO, published in the 

 City of Mexico. Orcutt for many 

 years was one of the best known pub- 

 lishers of amateur and scientific mag- 

 azines on the west coast. It seems 

 like a disease, when you once get it, 

 you can't let go. We trust he will re- 

 ceive the best of encouragement and 

 success with his new undertaking. 



Harry C. Bigglestone sends us a 

 separate from the Wilson Bulletin of 

 June, 1913, "A Study of the Nesting 

 Behavior of the Yellow Warbler," 

 which is a very exhaustive and thor- 

 ough treatise of the subject. 



We are in receipt of a sample "Bird 

 Study Note Book," published by Clara 

 Cozad Keezel at Carnett, Kansas, 

 which is one of the best arrangements 

 for notes on bird study that has come 

 under our observation in a long time, 

 and would be of great deal of service 

 to the fraternity were it adopted gen- 

 erally. 



We are glad to note that Isaac E. 

 Hess is meeting with unusual success 

 in his weekly bird talks published in 

 the Decatur (111.) Herald, with the re- 

 sult that the Herald subscription list 

 is growing because thereof. 



Editor OOLOGIST: — Have you ever 

 heard of a Blue egg of the Prairie 

 Hen? It is about the shade of the eggs 

 of the White-faced Glossy Ibis. 



C. H. Vandercook. 

 Odin, 111. 



No; it is unusual. — Editor. 



Another Double Shelled Hen's Egg. 



Arthur W. Brockway, of Hadlyme, 

 Connecticut, writes: "I have the larg- 

 est double shelled hen's egg that I 

 have heard of as yet, measuring 9% 

 inches by 7% inches. It weighed be- 

 fore its contents was removed, seven 

 ounces and was laid by one of the 



Rhode Island Red variety." 



-. ♦ . 



Our Birds. 



Last summer C. F. Willard of Tomb- 

 stone, Arizona, who is well known to 

 the readers of THE OOLOGIST as 

 one of the leading bird students of 

 the Southwest, spent the day at Ye 

 Editor's home and during that time 

 toolv some photos of our wild fowl, two 

 of which are published in this issue of 

 THE OOLOGIST. 



