THE OOLOGIST. 



197 



Ihey may dive. The young getting uu- 

 cler the mother's wiug as they go iiiKler, 

 but eomiug up out of the water again 

 before she makes her appearauee. 



These (irebes breed abundantly on 

 St. Clair Flats, and still more abun- 

 dautlj- to the North-west. They feed 

 principally on tish, also on aquatic in- 

 sect.s, varying their diet to some extent 

 with water plants of diticrent kinds. 



J. H. Langille. 

 Kensington, Ind., or Smithsonian Insti- 

 tute, Washington, D. C. 



In Favor of an Organization. 



It was with pleasure I read the article 

 by J. H. Langille in a former number 

 of the OoLOGiST, and was much sur- 

 prised that it received no reply in the 

 last issue. I am sure it w-as not from 

 lack of interest that all was silence 

 along the line. Perhaps others, like my- 

 self, were waiting to hear from someone 

 else. 



I am very glad this subject has at last 

 been brought up and after a plan that 

 I hope will materialize in such a way 

 as to prove of lasting benefit to those 

 interested in ornithology. For some 

 time I have thought what a grand thing 

 it would be if a fraternity like that pro- 

 pcsed by Rev. Langille could be formed. 

 The necessary foundation for an organ- 

 ization of that order could hardly be 

 other than the chiefs among ornitholo- 

 gists, and it did not seem possible to me 

 that they ciuld under any circumstan- 

 ces give their valuable lime to aid us, 

 though we, even as they are trying to 

 learn something of the mysteries of 

 creation. But now that one of these 

 men has interested himself in our be- 

 half and is working for tis, let us do all 

 we can to further any plans for the 

 formation of some such society as may 

 be consistant with our circumstances. 



From my study of liirds, and all na- 

 ture as well, I steadfastly believe we 

 were all created for some purpose, that 



each one of us have some peculiar fa- 

 culty belonging to ourselves, and that 

 by study we may develop that ability 

 in such a manner as to be able to give 

 to others the benefits we have derived 

 from its possession. Now, even we 

 may be in possession of just what is 

 needed to throw light on some obscure 

 point in science, and by communion 

 through correspondence with these mea 

 be able to develope the germ that is; 

 within us and pursue to a logical se- 

 quence that which now has no detinite 

 form . 



Thus we may in time repay to some 

 extent what these men may do for us 

 thorough the mediums of a fraternity. 

 But the question is what can we do 

 now ? Will not some one come for- 

 ward with a plan ? How much we 

 have lost in the past by not having the 

 facilities that would be presented by 

 an organization of this kind each one 

 of us can realize, to some extent at 

 least. Not what we might gain from 

 now on by the aid of such a society we 

 dare not estimate. 



L. O. D, 

 Litchfield, Minn. 



What is the Highest Northern Latitude in 

 Which the Chewink Breeds? 



That discussion in the Oologist re- 

 garding the most northern region in 

 the state of New York in which the 

 Chewink breeds, is decidedl}' of inter- 

 est to me, as I I'eside in nearly the same 

 latitude in Michigan as the counties 

 named (43 ° 40). The Chewink in 

 here, one of our most common and 

 abundant birds, and always breeds here. 

 I had supposed we were much south 

 of its northern breeding limit. It cer- 

 tainly brijeds in Lapeer Co., the county 

 north of this (Oakland), and I think 

 somewhat farthers in the two southern 

 tiers of townships in Lape(«r Co.. it is 

 about as abundant as in Oakland C'o., 

 (Latitude 43. = 5). Tne h:il)its of this 



