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18 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



Two of them flew down on the beach, and 

 another was shot from the top of a weed. 



After this day's experience I considered 

 them an eas}^ bird to obtain, but the next 

 day's quite undeceived me, for I went out 

 alone and succeeded in starting but three 

 birds, which were very wild, two of which I 

 shot at and saw them fall but could not find 

 them, as they were probably only wounded 

 and took care of themselves. 



The third day my wife went with me, as 

 on the first. I started but one bird, and 

 that after walking about half the length 

 of the hills. It would rise about forty yards 

 in advance of us and fly with long undula- 

 tions, usually until hidden from sight by 

 some intervening sand hill. 



After chasing it almost the entire length 

 of the hills we made a circuit, and then be- 

 gan the chase back. There was little dan- 

 ger of its escaping us, as the sand bills were 

 so narrow it would not permit us to pass 

 by. 



Several snap shots were made when it 

 arose, and finally it was killed at the end of 

 the hills, after a chase of fully two miles. I 

 am positive that this chase of two miles was 

 for the same identical sparrow. 



Song and Tree sparrows were both com- 

 mon along this range of hills, but were dis- 

 tinguishable at a glance. 



Bird Migration. 



In a letter from Mr. Francis Bain, of North 

 River, Prince Edward Island, he says: ''I 

 observe in a report of Dr. Merriam's in Ran- 

 dom Notes," that the date of the first ap- 

 pearance of the nightliawk in Prince Ed- 

 ward Island in 1884 is given as June 1st. 



Now we observed this species at North 

 River on May 25th ; and from records of its 

 arrival, kept for fifteen years past, I find that 

 tliere has been but a slight variation from that 

 date during this period. On six years the 

 date of its arrival is May 26th, and on the 

 remaining nine years it never varied more 

 than four days from that date. 



In comparing my notes with those of other 

 observers, I find that the night hawk reaches 

 this island at much the same time as it is 

 seen at the opposite New Brunswick shore." 



Montague Chamberlain, 



St. John, N. B. 



Editors of Random Notps : 



I must range myself on the side of Mr. 

 F. A. Lucas in the matter of making the 

 opening cut from well up on the sternum, 

 especially in the case of skins to be set up 

 with spread wings, and also in the lower 

 order of birds, such as loons, grebes, etc., 

 where the legs are far back. But I would 

 like to ask Mr. Lucas if he does not have 

 trouble with skins of large birds where the 

 wings are tied as he advises in last number 

 of WaixTs Bulletin. I have tried it in small 

 birds where the humerus is cut awa}' ; but 

 on eagles, hawks, owls, etc., I find that if 

 all the wing bones are left in and tied 

 through the double bones, on returning the 

 skin the humerus is sure to push up into 

 the neck. With this exception I like the 

 wing-tying, because it keeps them in place 

 better, both in the skin and the mounted 

 specimen. 



Random Notes recentl}' queried as to the 

 first using of a hard body. In The Usefid 

 Comxianion and Artijicer's Assistant, b}' H. 

 B. Allen, a chapter on taxidermy is given, 

 culled, evidently', from an English source, 

 in which a bodj' of wood is advocated. 



We have recently taken a song sparrow, 

 partiallv albino, the throat, breast, and 

 scapulars pure white. A white cliff-swal- 

 low and bobolink have been observed in 

 this vicinity this season. 



G. G. Dickey. 



Ac WORTH, N. H. 



We make the opening incision on the 

 back of all Geese, Ducks, Loons, Grebes 

 and other water-birds which have short, 

 thick feathers on the breast. The advan- 

 tages are as follows : the breast is left in 

 one unbroken piece ; there being no incision 

 there are no grease stains ; and if the bird 

 has been kept long, there is not the danger 

 of losing the breast feathers that there 

 would be if the tender portion were along 

 the opening cut. — Ed. 



I A CHEAyiNK was seen b}- Mr. Seamans 

 Dec. 20th, which was by far the coldest da}' 

 of the month. 



Mr. H. L. Clulee. Wallingford, Conn., 

 reports the capture of two Purple Grackle 

 Dec. 31st, and that a Kingfisher is to be 

 i seen daily below the mill dam. 



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