THE OREGON NATURALIST. 
Roy G. 
Michigan, was killed in the elevator at 
the Alma Sanitarium, at 7 o’clock in the 
Fitch of Grand _ Rapids, 
morning of July 18. He had been at that 
place for the past five weeks taking treat- 
ment for debility following a long attack 
of malarial fever, which hehad last spring. 
He was much improved in health and was 
expected home last night to remain until 
Aug. 19, when he intended to enter the 
Agricultural College at Lansing 
When the accident occurred he was 
attempting to run the elevator in the 
momentary absence of the man in charge. 
Roy arose early yesterday morning and 
went down stairs. When he wished to 
return to his room there was no oneto run 
the elevator and he undertook to manage 
it himself. He slipped and fell in such a 
way as to be caught between the cage and 
the wall. Itis thought his injuries were 
not serious enough to have proved fatal, 
bu} the shock and fright produced heart 
failure. 
Roy was a great favorite in his neigh- 
borhood and with his teachers and class- 
mates. His disposition was gentle and 
affectionate and his habits were studious. 
He was a great lover of birds, and for.’ 
several years had made their habits a 
study. He was vice president of the 
Kent Ornithological Society and he had a 
large collection of specimens and books 
that he shared with the club in pursuit of 
its studies. He was a frequent contributor 
to Ornithological literature, and perhaps 
was better known to our readers as 
**Amicus Avium.”’ 
Roy was nineteen years old, and had he 
lived he would have become eminent in 
the science toward which his tastes seem- 
ed to tend. 
WRITTEN FOR CHE OREGON NATURALIST? 
WINTER BIRDLIFE IN SOUTHERN 
MASSACHUSETTS 
Cc. €. PURDUM. 
(continued from page Ioo) 
(32) Alcea torda, (877) 
RAZOR-BILLED AUK; TINKER. 
This is a very rare variety in this local- 
ity even during the severest weather, when 
as a general thing the auks usually visit 
us in large numbers. They are not so 
easily approached as other members of the 
family, and this fact tozether with their 
scarcity limit my notes, so that little out- 
side of the winter plumage can be given. 
The bill and feet are black the strict sunk- 
en line of white which in summer reached 
only from the eye to the culmen, now 
reached to the bill and invades the sides 
of the head and neck. The head and neck 
all around are glossy black. The. tips 
and under parts of the secondaries are 
pure white, as are the entire under .parts _- 
including the lower part of the neck. The 
length of the adult male in my collection, 
measures 17.50 inches ‘in length 27.25 
inches in extent, 7.75 wing; and about 3.50 
forthe tail This variety is abundant 
some distance north-of us, but as before 
stated, is our rarest. It breeds in large 
numbers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
Newfoundland and Labrador, and during 
the severest winters has been found to 
stray as far south as the middle states. 
(33) Plantus impennis (878) 
GREAT AUK: 
‘*His Grace the Auk who lost the use 
of his wings and perished from off the 
face of the earth in consequence’? The 
pride of all A/cidae, to whom had been 
entrusted the knowledge of all secret 
things, bird signs, aud omens, for some 
occult reason entirely unknown to science; 
