THE MUSEUM. 



249 



on eggs with immaculate shells such 

 as those of the Columbidtt, Bubonida;. 

 Alcidinidte, and especially the Picida;, 

 this ink has a most pleasing effect, as 

 it forms a jet black gloss contrasted 

 with the white ground color (?). Of 

 course it requires patience and exact- 

 ness to apply it properly, but the oolo- 

 gist without these qualities is a poor 

 one indeed. In the field the use of 

 the ink is impracticable, but when we 

 reach "headquarters," where we have 

 more convenience and more time to 

 devote to our specimens, the tempor- 

 ary markings of the pencil can be eas- 

 ily washed off, and the ink substituted, 

 or still better, during the winter, when 

 the work of the oologist is compara- 

 tively limited would be a more appro- 

 priate season to devote to this work. 

 I have found India ink to be more 

 durable, equally as stainless and more 

 apparent than the markings of the 

 pencil; furthermore the markings of 

 this ink are as readily, if not more 

 readily washable than those of the 

 pencil. 



I trust the day will ultimately arrive 

 when all live oologists will learn to ap- 

 preciate the great superiority of this 

 ink above the pencil. The greatest 

 egg collection in the U. S. today — the 

 the U. S. National Museum collection 

 — has adopted this method, and why 

 not follow its good example.' 



John W. Daniel, Jr., 



Lynchburg, Va. 



Is This a Common Occurrence? 



Upon two occasions I have been an 

 eye-witness to the death of a common 

 Crow by a Hawk. The first time was 

 about noon in the spring of the year. 

 I was sitting on the front veranda of 

 my dwelling when I heard the sounds 



of Crows after a Hawk. Upon look- 

 ing up I saw the Hawk light very low 

 in the branch of a scrubby tree distant 

 about eighty yards. The Crows to 

 the number of twelve or fifteen, were 

 very noisy and unusually demonstrat- 

 ive. This continued for a few min- 

 utes, when suddenly the Hawk darted 

 to the ground catching a crow either 

 in the descent or upon the ground, 

 and as suddenly flying off through the 

 woods, followed by all except one, left 

 fluttering upon the ground. I quickly 

 walked to the spot, and found the 

 Crow almost dead. An examination 

 showed some wounds upon the body 

 and on the neck near the head. 



The second time I was riding horse 

 back along the public highway, when 

 I heard the unmistakable sounds of a 

 lot of Crows after a Hawk. While 

 looking at them the Crows darted and 

 cawed, the Hawk swerving and trying 

 to escape. The Hawk made a quick 

 downward dart, caught a Crow in its 

 taloons and carried it perhaps sixty 

 yards directly across the road in 

 front of me, and letting it go, when 

 perhaps 200 feet high. The Crow 

 made an attempted flight, falling ob- 

 liquely about seventy-five yards dis- 

 tant. I dismounted and hastily tied 

 my horse to the fence. On picking 

 up the Crow it expired in my hands. 

 I only found one hole in the head, ap- 

 parently penetrating the brain — wheth- 

 er made by the talons or beak I can 

 not say. I have not read extensively 

 of Ornithological literature, but have 

 never seen anything similar in print. 



Is this a common or rare occurrence.' 

 The Hawk is known by the common 

 name, "Squirrel Hawk," being the 

 largest species in this section. Is it 

 Buteo latissimiis.' M. Cr.akb. 



