THE OREGON NATURALIST. 



ETMIHI. 



Translated, the rinsciption on the ob- 

 verse reads: "I believe that there is one 

 church, the Holy Catholic. Joa Hus." 

 The outer inscription on the reverse:' 

 ''One hundred years having rolled away 

 you will answer to God and to me." The 

 inner inscription: "Jo Hus was condemned 

 in the year 1415 from Christ having been 

 born." 



The medal is in strictly fine condition, 

 and having a blackish appearance, caused 

 by casting. Two duplicates of it were seen 

 by a former owner, one in the museum at 

 Vienna and one in Berlin. 



ED. A SCHLOTH, 

 Portland, Oregon. 



AN INTERESTING RELIC. 



EASTERN DEPARTMENT, 



CONDUCTED BY THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR. 



WINTER BIRD LIFE IN ^SOUTHERN 

 MASSACHUSETTS 



Chr.ries F. Ci'.niniings of Wal'iula owns an 

 ntt resting relic of the Lewis and Clark expe- 

 dition of 1S04-5. This expedition was sent over- 

 land i.y Prtsidtnt JeflTerfon, and its objects were 

 explorations and the negotiation of friendly re- 

 lations with the various Indian tribes of the great 

 West. The exj edition carried with it present^ 

 and medals for the chiefs, and the relic now 

 owned by Mr. Cumniirgs is one of these medalS- 



This medal is of silver. It is about three 

 inches in diameter, and upon one side is a bust 

 portrait of President Jeflerson, with this inscrip- 

 tion surrounding it: 



"Th. Jefferson, President of the U. S., 

 A. D. 1801." 



On the opposite side appear two hands clasp- 

 ed m greeting, with a pipe and tomahawk 

 crossed, and the phrase "Peace and friendship." 



This medal was found last summer on an 

 island in the Columbia river, presumably an 

 old Indian burying-ground. It is believed it 

 was given to Chief Yeliejjt, of the Walla Walla 

 tribe, as an account of the presentation of such 

 a medal to that chief is found in the journals of 

 the exj^edition. 



C. C. PURDUM. 



Continued from page 169 Vol II. 



Having discussed at some length in the last 

 two papers the hibits etc. of the common and 

 Arctic terns we will pass over the. other two 

 varieties viz: the Roseate ,|;(Sterna"; dougalli) 

 and the Least (Sterna antillarum) varieties, which 

 resemble in most points the two previously 

 considered. The food supply of the terns, con- 

 sists entirely of small fish which they take in 

 an interesting manner. Flying along about 

 ten or fifteen feet above the surface' of the 

 waters; when a proper opportunity affords, the 

 liird makes a quick upward turn and describ- 

 ing a complete 'though small circle, drops 

 straight into the water, generally entirely dis- 

 appearing beneath the water. Rising with its 

 capture, it_starts away as if to devour it! at 

 leisure, but be fore many seconds you will look 

 in vain for that unhappy fish. He has dis- 

 appeared down that capacious throat and its 

 v\ell satisfied captor,; has turned his eyes 

 to the water again as if to say "Oh! There are 

 others." As 'indeed there are, for suddenly as 

 you watch him, he again drops into the water 

 and another "minnow" has joined his luckless 

 comrade. Again and again this is kept up till 

 one is a!most,bewildered at/'where he puts em.'- 

 Digestion is very rapid and strong in these 

 l)i rds however and as long as the food supply 

 lasts, just so long will you find "Sterna" 

 splashing here, rising there and always keeping 

 up that incessant -chee-chein- as if their lives 

 depended upon it. 



To make the acquaintance of our next "item 

 of interest" let us take our trusty Parker, a large 



