50 



THE OOLOGIST 



"Ornithological Acquaintances." 



While on an overland trip to South 

 Texas, during January I stopped over 

 in Austin, our state capitol. There I 

 had the pleasure of meeting several 

 men vs^ho are doing a lot to save and 

 protect the birds of this state. I 

 first went to see Mr. Sterret, state 

 game, fish and oyster commissioner. 

 I was greeted in a very cordial man- 

 ner. (Although from my appearance, 

 being in collection clothes, you would 

 have suspected that I was a' hobo). 



Mr. Sterret impressed me as a' man 

 who not only was a good official, but 

 was a nature lover also. He talked 

 about collecting and birds in a man- 

 ner of one that knew what he was 

 speaking of. And also directed me to 

 where I could locate a nest of Bald 

 Eagles in San Angelo county, with a 

 zest of one who takes greatest inter- 

 est in birds. He assured me that he 

 had sent me a permit to collect and at 

 the same time had the thoroughness 

 to warn me against collecting quail 

 eggs. 



The next man that I met was Mr. 

 J. W. Neil, director of institutes, state 

 department of agriculture, with whom 

 I talked for quite a while. He seemed 

 to be well versed in bird lore and to 

 take a great interest in the birds of 

 our state, having wrote several im- 

 pressive articles, pleading for their 

 preservation. 



He told me of the plans on foot for 

 the publication of all the material that 

 the U. S. Biological survey has collect- 

 ed on the birds of Texas. I think 

 that it would be a most valuable ad- 

 dition to the publication of birds in 

 this state, as here are no real good 

 books on the birds of Texas. The pub- 

 lication of this bulletin would require 

 an appropriation of about ten thous- 

 and dollars, from the state legislature. 

 And I suggest that all the ornitholo- 

 gist of this state, should combine and 



write the representatives of the state 

 legislature, urging them to advocate 

 the passage of this bill. 



I then went out to visit Mr. George 

 Finley Simmons who although a young 

 man, is now a professor in the state 

 university. Mr. Simmons is now en- 

 gaged in the writing of a bulletin for 

 the state on the birds of central Texas, 

 which will be most helpful. 



He offered to take me out and show 

 me some good collecting grounds, but 

 as my time was limited, I did not go 

 out with him. 



Dr. Elton Perry and Deloach Martin 

 are two that I did not have the pleas- 

 ure of meeting, but with whom I cer- 

 tainly would have liked to have gotten 

 acquainted. 



Jake Zeitlin, 

 905 Bryan Ave., 

 Ft. Worth, Texas. 



Hawk and Squirrel 



While out on a hawking trip this 

 spring I came to a Hawk's nest in an 

 elm tree near a small creek. It was 

 up in the top branches and after a 

 climb I found that they had not laid 

 yet. But the birds were observed 

 close by. After giving it a close ex- 

 amination I found a squirrel's nest 

 cozily built right under the Hawk's 

 nest in the same fork. So this ap- 

 peared to me that they were living 

 close together. 



Ramon Graham. 



Hawk and Wild Cat 



While collecting along the Mexican 

 Border I came upon an extra large 

 Hawk's nest. I was looking it over de- 

 ciding to climb it when out jumped 

 a wild cat. This was a surprise to 

 me so I turned to shoot and he dis- 

 appeared in the dense prickley pear 

 thickets. 



Ramon Graham. 



