74 BULLETIN No. 36 



Pennsylvania; also the collection of J. W. Preston. Iowa; Henry 

 R. Taylor, Chester Barlow and H, W. Carriu;er, of California; 

 Watson Bishop and Harry Austin, of Nova Scotia; and Joseph 

 Grinnell's Alaskian collection. Some idea of its richness and 

 extentmay be had by the enumeration of a few examples: 3 sets 

 Cory's Least Bittern, 15 sets Sandhill Crane, i set Solitary 

 Sandpiper, 3 sets California Vulture, go sets Sharp shinned 

 Hawk, 30 sets Golden Eagle, 22 sets Prairie Falcon, a large 

 series of nests, eggs and skins of Everglade, Swallow-tailed and 

 White-tailed Skite, i set of Spotted Owl, 5 sets Clark's Nut. 

 cracker; in short everything procurable, and is said to have 

 necessitated the expenditure of over ;^25,ooo, in actual cash, 

 occupying a building erected expressly for the purpose. 



Announcement has been made by the Smithsonian In- 

 stitution, that Dr. W. L. Ralph, Honorary Curator, of the 

 Section of Birds' Eggs, in the National Museum, has undertaken 

 the continuation of the "Life Histories of North American 

 Birds" commenced by the late Major Charles Bendire. The 

 next volume will begin with the Grosbeaks and end with the 

 Vireo and Bahama Honey Creeper. Blanks for co-operative 

 investigation are being sent out. 



The time is close at hand when bird study in many sections 

 of the country will be spoken of as a passing fad, a term too 

 often applicable to the collecting of eggs. The publication of 

 that which Our Animal Friends terms"mawkish sentimentalism" 

 will sooner or later be fraught with evil to the cause which the 

 writer may wish to advance. Happily, the judicious policy of 

 those whom we look up to as leaders in the movement toward 

 popularizing the science, has kept the rising stream within its 

 legitimate channel — with a few notable exceptions. Where- 

 ever the exception, it does not apply to the numerous periodi- 

 cals one must take in order to keep abreast of the times. Never 

 have we had so many, so varied and interesting series of the 

 ornithological magazines as at the present time, each with its dis- 

 tinctive features and characteristics. The Auk leading, gen- 

 eral in character, but withal possessing a strong New England 

 tlavor. The Osprej' with its biographies, rambles afield, etc., 



