RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



settled weather before venturing nortliwanl. 

 Hence its progress, being subject to com- 

 paratively few interruptions, is much more 

 regular than in those species which migrate 

 earlier. In the spring of 1884, orioles were 

 reported from Jessamine Co., Ky., April 

 18 ; Camden, Ind., April 24 ; College Hill, 

 O., April 27 ; Columbus, O., April 28 ; 

 Petersburg, Mich., April 30 ; Cleveland, 

 O., and Battle Creek, Mich., May 1 ; New 

 Lexington, Penn., April 28 ; Brooklyn, 

 Penn., May 6 ; Long Island City, and Sing 

 Sing, N. Y., May 2 ; Lockport, N. Y., May 

 4 ; Painted Post, N. Y., May 5 ; Locust 

 Grove. N. Y., May 6 ; Auburn, N. Y., 

 May 6 ; Watertown, N. Y'., May 11 ; Lake 

 George, and Hamraondville, N. Y., May 

 13; London, Ont., May 8 ; Hamilton, Out., 

 May 9 ; Ottawa, and Listowel, Ont., May 

 13;" Portland, Conn., May 2; East Hart- 

 ford, Conn., May 4 ; Holyoke, Mass., May 

 6 ; Greenfield, Mass., and Hanover, N. H., 

 May 15; Thetford, Vt., May 10; Weter- 

 boro, Frjeburg, and Brewer, Me., May 16 ; 

 Moosehead Lake, Me., and Montreal, Can- 

 ada, May 24. 



The Bobolink (DolicJiom/x oryzivorus) 

 was reported, by the keepers of light-sta- 

 tions, from North East Harbor, Me., May 1 ; 

 Windmill Point (near Prescott), Ont., May 

 8 ; Cherry Island, Ont., May 30 ; Leaming- 

 ton, Lake Erie, May 20 ; Long Point, Lake 

 Erie, May 22 ; Robertson's and McMann's 

 Points, N. B., June 1 ; Presque Isle, Lake 

 Ontario, June 15. 



The Chimney Swift {Chmtura j)elasgica), 

 according to the same observers (light- 

 keepers), was seen at Egg Island, N. J., 

 April 30; Wing's Neck, Mass., May 3; 

 North East Harbor, Me., June 2; Drew's 

 Head, N. B., Mav20; Cape Spencer. N. B., 

 May 28 ; McMann's Point, N. B., June 1 ; 

 Prince Edward Island, May 15 ; Sand 

 Point (Canso), N. S., May "24; Plateau 

 Rock (Gaspe Co.), June 1 ; Cherry Island, 

 Ont., May 1 ; Prescott, Ont., May 5 ; Wolf 

 Island (where the St. Lawrence leaves 

 Lake Ontario), May 20 ; Port Maitland, 

 Lake Erie, May 4 ; Leamington, Lake 

 Erie, May 25 ; McGulpin's Point, Mich., 

 May 24. 



DattleOi-'ck, Midi May 11 



McGulp n's 1 oim. Miclj " 25 



Froginoiv, S. O April 12 



.-tatesville N. C " 25 



New Markot. Va May 1 



Philadelphia. Penn " 1 



Lit nca(*ter, Penn " 1 



Brooklyn, Penn " 3 



New Lexington, Penn " lf> 



Atg-len. Fenn " 15 



Cape May City. N. J " 18 



Sititr SinK, N. Y " 3() 



Locust Grove, N. Y " 2* 



Haminondville, N. Y "' 22 



Tully, N. Y ■' IT 



Lockport, N.Y " IT 



Watertown. N. Y " 25 



Saybpok, Conn '" "> 



Greenfield, Mass *" 18 



Wing's Neck, Mass " IT 



Thetford, Vt " 20 



NegTo Island. Me " 20 



Owl's Head, Me " 21 



Blue Hill Bay, Me '• ;^2 



Calais, Me " 23 



North Ea^t Harbor, Me ■-■■■ " 24 



!st. John, N. B ' 14 



Yarmouth, N.S " 18 



C:ipe Spencer. N. S " 21 



Quaco, N. S " 36 



Bacearo.N.S " ;«) 



Prince Edward Island June 1 



Batch' wana Bay, Lake Superior May 10 



Killarney, Lake Huron " '■> 



Windmill Point (Prescott). Ont " 20 



Cherry Island (L.St. Francis) ;' 2.S 



Montreal. Canada "^ 21 



Quebec, Canada 2» 



XiouTHAWK (Chordeiles ijnpctiu). 



Augusta, Oa. 



Jessamine Co., Kj 

 Camden, Tnd . 

 Cleveland, O 



April 2.1 



MMy 4 



" 1.) 



Feldspars. 



The ditt'erent minerals belonging to the 

 feldspar group are composed of silica, 

 alumina, and soda, lime, or potash. They 

 are distinguished from other minerals by 

 their perfect cleavage in two directions, 

 leaving faces that are smooth and reflect 

 the light with a peculiar flash. They are 

 harder than limestone and softer than 

 quartz, which two they most resemble, and 

 are not decomposed rapidly by hydrochloric 

 acid, and with eflfervescence like limestone. 



The more common white varieties are 

 mined and used extensively in the arts, and 

 the decomposition of feldspathic rocks re- 

 sults in clay used from time immemorial in 

 the manufacture of pottery. 



The Boston Journal of Commen-e, men- 

 tioning some of the more precious kinds, 

 says : 



" Amazon stone is a bluish green variety 

 of the common kind of feldspar called or- 

 thoclase. In composition it is a silicate of 

 alumina and potash. It is an opaque stone 

 with a somewhat pearly lustre and a hard- 

 ness of 6, or 6.5, just below quartz. It is 

 quite brittle, but takes a good polish. It 

 was first discovered on the banks of the 

 Ainnznn. from which circMin.sttince it takes 



