94 



THE OOLOaiST 



(Smithsonian) Museum at Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



The article "On the Food of the 

 Marsli Hawk" in April 1919 Oologist 

 was inadvertently published without 

 the signature of the author, Verti 

 Burtch, Branchport, N. Y. 



Trumpeter Swan 



Dr. R. W. Shufeldt sends us a copy 

 of the Pictorial Section of "The Wash- 

 ington Post" of May 11th in which ap- 

 pears a half tone photo reproduction 

 of the male Trumpeter Swan deposit- 

 ed by the Editor in the United States 

 Zoological Gardens at Washington, 

 and it may truly be said the old bird 

 looks healthy, vigorous and natural, 

 though we are sorry to learn that the 

 female with which it was sought to 

 be mated in said Zoological Gardens 

 has recently died. 



If anyone knows of a female Trum- 

 peter Swan in confinement, we would 

 appreciate any information as to 

 the whereabouts of this bird at once, 

 as another effort should be made to 

 save this splendid race from totally 

 vanishing from the face of the earth. 



Some British Birds 



I last wrote to the Oologist while 

 I was in the 626 Aero Squadron in 

 Kelly Field, Texas (March 1918). 

 LeaA'ing that camp I w^as sent to 

 Camp Morrison near Newport News, 

 Virginia, and there transfered to the 

 S37 Aero Squadron; going overseas 

 from New York. 



I do not know where the line is 

 drawn between the British birds and 

 those of America, but I judge that up 

 to the "half way point" all birds are 

 American on the western half and 

 English or European on the eastern 

 half. 



The commonest bird I saw after 

 crossing the "line" was Wilson'a Pet- 

 rel, though once in a while I saw a 



lone Stormy Petrel. About twelve 

 hours before we sighted the coast of 

 Ireland, I saw several Iceland Gulls, 

 called by the sailors "Sea Pigeons." 



When we had followed the Irish 

 Coast quite a ways and were in sight 

 of the coast of Scotland on our left, 

 we came upon several Guillemots 

 swimming on the surface of the water. 

 I was in the bow at the time, and as 

 far forward as I could get, so I had a 

 good chance to watch these birds. 

 They were directly in the path of the 

 steamer yet did not seem to be at 

 all alarmed at the oncoming bulk of 

 the S. S. Empress of Russia and wait- 

 ed until its steel prow was nearly up- 

 on them before they dived. The water 

 was clear and from my position I 

 could see them as the swam under 

 water with the aid of their wings. 

 Several flocks of these birds we met, 

 only a few taking wing, the rest seek- 

 ing safety by diving. 



As we got nearer land. Gulls and 

 Terns became more numerous. Every 

 ship of the convoy had a flock of the 

 former following it from the time we 

 were within three hours of land, and 

 they were literally swarms of them 

 with us as we dropped anchor in the 

 Mersey River at Liverpool across from 

 Birkenhead. Every available space 

 was taken up by gulls on the roofs of 

 the buildings along the docks and on 

 the ship's masts also. I would say 

 that Liverpool was a town of Sea 

 Gulls and fog had I not later seen 

 more of it at Camp Knotty Ash near 

 Old Swan and thereby decided the 

 town to be all mud. Black-headed 

 Gulls, Herring Gulls, Kitte Wakes and 

 a few other species were observed by 

 me. 



When we moved inland to finish our 

 training, I found I had to relearn my 

 ornithology, for only one or two of 

 the birds did I know at sight. 1 knew 

 the Starling because of its resem- 



