74 



THE OOLOGIST. 



too early, and they had discovered the 

 fact in short order. 



A flock of geese was seen flying north, 

 ward at noon, but they became dis- 

 couraged at the snow, rain and wind 

 which they encountered and 'struck off 

 to the east in a driving rain. 



At one o'clock in the afternoon seven 

 Bluebirds were seen near Cedar Lake. 

 They were on the south side of a wil- 

 low covered bluff. The wind still blew 

 coldly from the northwest, and snow 

 was falling at the time they were seen. 



Sunday March 17th, I heard a Robin 

 singing. There seems to be a scarcity 

 of Robins this spring, this being the 

 only one I have heard to date, (March 

 20th,) but their ranks are filled with a 

 goodly number of Bluebirds. I am 

 very glad to note the increase of Blue- 

 birds. Last season I found a pair 

 breeding in an old stump near my 

 home, but this was the only nest found 

 for several seasons. 



Every ornithologist should have a 

 camera. A good photograph of a bird, 

 nest or eggs can tell more of the beauty 

 of Nature than words can express or 

 tongue can tell. The amateur "bird- 

 ologist" will find the camera a great 

 help in his study of bird life and bird- 

 architecture. 



A few days ago the writer hunted up 

 his climbers, blow-pipes, egg-boxes, 

 drills, etc., and after looking them over 

 and cleaning them, put them away 

 where they could be found at a mo- 

 ments notice. The time will soon 

 come when they will be needed, and it 

 is best to have them ready before- 

 hand. 



I heard a Meadow-lark on the 18th 

 of this month (March.) These larks 

 are quite common during the nesting 

 season, and their presence at this time 

 of the year is a sure sign that spring is 

 at hand. Several Red-winged Black- 

 birds were serenading the sun in the 

 early morning with their "kon-ker-ree." 

 Song Sparrows also sang in the shrub- 

 bery along the lake shore. 



The writer has a unique way of iden- 

 tifying birds for field nse. It is a small 

 book with alternating blank and ruled 

 leaves. The left page being blank, and 

 the right ruled. When a strange bird 

 is seen, a rough outline of it is made on 

 the blank page and then colored with 

 colored lead pencils. A description of 

 the bird is written on the ruled page, 

 and it is very useful in identifying the 

 specimen at hand. With this book in 

 your panjamas, a pair of opera glasses, 

 and a good "key" with you, cr at home, 

 identification is made quife easy. Of 

 course the exact colors cannot always 

 be used, but they can be made ne^r 

 enough to serve the purpose. 



Glen M. Hathorn, 

 Cedar Rapids, la. 



Loxgilla portoricensis. 



I first met this bird in the hills back 

 of Catana and Bayamon across the bay 

 from San Juan during the spring and 

 summer of '99. In a three months' so- 

 journ in the Island of Vieques I did not 

 observe it and do not think it occurs. 

 At Aguadilla during the summer of 

 1900 I found it common and again at 

 Mayaguez the succeeding autumn and 

 winter. In the brush of the lower hill- 

 sides near San Juan Bay it seemed to 

 evince no evidence of shyness or seclu- 

 sion and was readily approached and 

 taken, but around Aguachilla and May- 

 aguez I found the opposite to be the 

 base. 



A male skin now before me measurns 

 six and one half inches in length. The 

 color is a uniform blue-black with pur- 

 plish reflections. A patch of Venetian 

 red of light shade covers the crown ex- 

 tending to eyes and base of bill and 

 continuing in two slight stripes three- 

 eighths' inch down on neck. Another 

 patch of same color and oval shape 

 covers throat and upper breast, meas- 

 uring one and five-eighths inches from 

 base of lower mandibles. A third 



