THF OREdON NATURALIST. 



115 



as species, in tlie old sense of the word, 

 exist in nature, any mure than have 

 genera or families an actual exi-^tence. 

 Specie:^ are inodificationx. which are in- 

 seperably linked together; and their 

 nominal recognition is a pure conven- 

 tionalism. 



No infallible rule can be laid down 

 for determining what shall be held to 

 be a species, what a sub-species, or 

 what a variety. The actual classifica- 

 tion of birds has undergone radical mod- 

 ification of late years, though the same 

 machinery is eniployed for its express- 

 ion. This of course was to be expected 

 as the theory of evolution has so pro- 

 foundly affected our principle of classi- 

 fication ; and our knowledge of the 

 structure of birds and their chronolog- 

 ical relations has progressed. 

 (The end.) 



times, though, they nest on the out 

 skirts of a little blue heron rookery, as 

 was the case with two nests found by 

 me this season. One contained four 

 eggs, the other, three. The usual num- 

 ber is three. R. W. Williams, Jr., 



Tallahassee, Fla. 



Ne^v Publication. 



Michigan Statk Agricultural Col- 

 LEGK ExPERiMKNT IStation.— Bulletins 

 133. Tui)erculosis, bv E. A. A. Grange, 

 and 134, Pasteurization of Milk, by 

 Clinton D. Smith, June, 1896. 



The Michigan Agricultural College 

 maintaina a college extension course of 

 reading designed especially for farmers, 

 ganienera, fruit growers and stock 

 bret^ders. The course is open to all in- 

 terested. In connection the Farm 

 Home Reading Circle offers a course in 

 systematic reading on subjects of prac- 

 tical interest to every farmer. They 

 have already a large and rapidly increas- 

 ing number of readers. Full informa- 

 tion can be obtained by sending a postal 

 card 'o Herbert W. Munford, B. S., 

 Agricultural College, Mich. 



A «35.00 Bicycle at Last. 



Ever since the introduction of the Bi- 

 . ycle, predictions have been freely made 

 that it was only a question of time when 

 a high-grade wheel could be purchased 

 at a low price consistent with the actual 

 cost of manufacture. It is a well-known 

 fact that the original manufacturers of 

 bicycles have become enormously rich 

 from the large profits in the business, 

 and have been able to maintain high 

 pricey by constant advertising. High- 

 salaried racers paid to win on their 

 wheels ; expensive bicycle shows ; sou- 

 venirs given away, and numerous other 

 expedients are resorted to to keep the 

 name of the wheel before the public, all 

 of which the user pays for, and gets no 

 better wheel than one under a less 

 known name could be bought for at half 

 the price. 



In another column is shown a cut and 

 full description of the "May wood" — a 

 first-class, high-grade wheel in every 

 respect, at the low price of $35.00. If 

 one will read the specifications carefully 

 he will be readily convinced that this 

 particular wheel has many points of 

 superiorit)' over any other on the mar- 

 ket, and the manufacturers are a re- 

 sponsible, well-known tirm, and guar- 

 antee the wheel in every particular. 



Bird Day. 



In Florida the green heron does not 

 nest in colonies as does the little blue 

 and snowy herons, but pi'efers some 

 isolated tree, away from its kin. Some- 



Oregon observes Arbor Day in an ap- 

 propriate manner, why not a Bird Day? 



Circular No. 17 by Prof. T. S. Palmer, 

 Acting Chief of Division, recently issued 

 by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



