THE OOLOGIST. 



137 



better? Is not tlie time fully come, for 

 ^ grand fraternity of bird students all 

 "over the continent? The American Or- 

 bithologists' Union is excellent for the 

 Savants in the science, hut we of the 

 laity must stand in the outer porch of 

 associate memcership, or stay out-doors 

 lentirely, if we are too indigent ta raise 

 ^3.00 per year for the "Auk." 



Let us who are of the i)eople, aye, 

 'even those who are in the "primer" of 

 Ornitliology, strike hands and with a 

 p;randeur of enthusiasm, that can stand 

 iilike in the icy cold of winter and the 

 burning heat of summer, talk with each 

 \3ther continually along the various 

 lines of eniiuii-y. 



Some of us here in Washington and 

 vicinity have been trj-ing for several 

 mouths to lay the foundations for such 

 U fraternity. Sickness has hindered 

 •some of us from doing our part to ])ush 

 the work rapidly, and the undertaking 

 being one that re(pnres thought and 

 laet, we find ourselves obliged to move 

 slowly. It will i)robably l)e .some 

 "months hence, before we can decide up. 

 •on the details of the membership. The 

 most difficult part of the organization 

 \vill be in respect to corresj)onding 

 meml)ers — how to attract them with 

 mutual advantage and how to secure 

 Un active fellowship at a distance. In 

 "Other words, what can we do for them, 

 ^and what can they do for us? Through 

 ■some chosen periodical we can give 

 them the results of our researches; we 

 ■can advi.se them of the infoi'mation, 

 which reaches the various institutions 

 •at Washington, concerning the birds of 

 North America or the world, aiul we 

 can reply to correspondence, intjuiries, 

 •etc. such as can be answei ed i)etter 

 here, with our imnien.se resources, than 

 t^lsewhere. 



But no one can answer all these let- 

 ters of inquiry, without a few stamps, 

 <i little staticmery, and a contribution of 

 valuai)le time, which his circumstances 

 \iiiw not allow him to h>ose. Yet no 



one here wants to make any money out 

 of ornithological students. In other 

 words the most ditlicult i)oints are the 

 choice of a i)eriodical which shall talk 

 best to the largest number, and fixing 

 of lines for corresponding meml)ershi]), 

 such as they can conveniently pa.v and 

 will at the same time enable tTie corre.s- 

 ponding secretaries to give due atten- 

 tion, to enquiries. 



Any suggestions from friends at a 

 ilistance on these i)oints will hv most 

 welcome. 



J. H. L.\N(;ii,LE. 

 Kensington. Md. 



The Amusing Antics of a Pair of Brown 

 Thrushes. 



A few years ago I had the pleasure of 

 securing two young Thrushes for pets. 

 I took the nest before they could fly, 

 and placed it in a large wire cage. 

 Where in a few hour's time, they would 

 take the food from my hand as readily 

 as from the beaks of tlic i)arent birds. 

 They soon evinced a great fondness for 

 their ca])tor, and would flutter against 

 the wires of their prison when I Avould 

 leave them, as though liegging to go 

 with me. Sometimes I would take 

 them oiit, when they would cuddle 

 down in my hand to sleep, as content- 

 ed as two kittens. When they became 

 almost grown they seemed so tame, I 

 concluded to turn them out and see if 

 they would go away. Tliey never otT- 

 ered to leave the trees and shrul)s near 

 the house, until late in the fall, when 

 they became very restless, and also a 

 little shy. They would perch high on 

 some tree top, uttering loud cries, as 

 though trying to attract the attention 

 of others. P^ach night they would re- 

 turn to their cage to roost, but each 

 day would go farther and farther from 

 home, and seemed to loose all their 

 cunning playful tricks. I became sus- 

 l>icous that they weiv j)i-e])a]Mng to take 

 their departure for a sunnier clime than 



