JOURNAL OF MAINE OllNlTHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The family chosen for study the com- 

 ing year, is a very interesting one, and 

 well represented in our State. We 

 ought to do good work among the War- 

 blers, and have a large amount of inter- 

 esting notes on them, at our annual 

 meeting. 



We have received the second edition 

 of "Our Birds, Their Nests and Eggs," 

 by H. P. White of Farmiugton, Maine. 

 It is revised and enlarged, but not 

 exactly, brought up to date. It is also 

 illustratfd, but not particularly artistic, 

 and reminds the editor very much of the 

 first volume, which is somewhat mis- 

 leading and amusing. 



Just before going to press, the news 

 comes of the death of Dr. Elliott Coues, 

 of Washington, D. C. He has long 

 been recognized as one of our leading 

 authorities on Birds. He will be missed 

 by a large circle of scientists, and espe- 

 cially by those, who were so unfortunate 

 as to displease the Dr. and receive a 

 vigorous shower of sarcasm upon their 

 heads, from his ever-ready vocabulary 

 of stinging words. He was very abrupt, 

 and often carried his bitter feelings 

 rather too far, and trampled upon peo- 

 ple's feelings rough-shod. 



The Dr. was a firm believer in ghosts 

 and it remains to be seen if he was as 

 positive or correct in his belief in spirits, 

 as he was in matters pertaining to 

 Ornithology. 



He promised some of his intimate 

 friends before his death, to appear to 

 them after his demise, if he was able to 

 do so, as he firmly believed he should 

 be. Now they are waiting with no little 

 interest, to see if he will keep his agree- 

 ment. 



Xema sabinii. Sabine's Gull. 



An immature female was shot at 

 Brothers' Islands, near Portland, Sept. 

 22nd, 1899, by some fishermen. It was 

 mounted by John II. Lord, the taxider- 

 mist, aud is now in his possession. 

 While ill Portland recently, 1 had the 

 pleasure of examining.' the specimen. 



O. W. Knight. 



Nov. 1.S99. 



Summer record of Otocoris for Maine. 



While driving from Andover, Maine, 

 to Norway, on the morning of August 

 12, 1.S99, when about a mile from An- 

 dover village, I espied in the road a 

 pair of Larks {Otocoris) ^ \)\xt before I 

 could train my glass upon them, they 

 took wing, circled around the carriage, 

 and disappeared from view, uttering 

 occasionally their familiar notes. That 

 they were Horned Larks is unquestion- 

 able, and it seems little less certain that 

 they were Otocoris alpestris praticola, 

 which has been found breeding in New 

 Hampshire, and has been anticipated as 

 a breeder in Maine. 



This record is given with the hope 

 that it may be an index to some one 

 who has an opportunity to work in this 

 or some region bordering the highlands 

 of Oxford, Piscataquis, or Aroostook 



counties. 



Arthur H. Norton. 



Westbrook, Me., Jan. 10, 1900. 



A young-of-the-vear Loggerhead 

 Shrike was seen near Westbrook, Dec. 

 2oth, '99. 



