222 Notes and News. [ap^U 



Mr. Ridgwav was born at Washington, D. C, May 15, 1877, and was 

 in his twentv-foiirth year. He was very popular among the young folks 

 of his acquaintance, hundreds of whom have in his death met with a 

 personal bereavement. — C. W. R. 



' The Western Ornithologist,' we regret to see. has passed out of 

 existence, its publisher, Mr. Charles C. Trvon, liaving entered the ser- 

 vice of the U. S. Army. It appears, however, to have a worthy successor 

 in 'The Bittern, a Bi-monthly Magazine devoted exclusively to Ornithol- 

 ogy and Oology,' edited and published by Mr. Glen M Hathorn, of Cedar 

 Rapids, Iowa, with Mr. Carl Fritz Henning of Boone, Iowa, as associate 

 editor. Mr. Henning was formerh' associate editor of 'The Western 

 Ornilhologist,' and will have charge of the review department of 'The 

 Bittern.' The first number, dated Januarv, 1901, gives promise of a 

 successful career, being typographically pleasing and well-filled with cred- 

 itable matter, including a number of excellent half-tone illustrations. 

 We wish o\w new contemporary the success it so well deserves. 



'American Ornithology' is the title of a new monthly illustrated 

 magazine, " for the home and school," published by Charles K. Reed, 

 7^ Thomas St., Worcester, Mass., and edited by C. Albert Reed. A fea- 

 ture of the magazine is the publication of " the life history of four or 

 five birds " in each number, with illustrations of the birds and their 

 eggs. The magazine is well printed and the illustrations are excellent. 



'The Petrel, an illustrated monthly- magazine devoted to Ornithol- 

 ogy and Oology,' comes to us from Palestine, Oregon, the first number 

 bearing date January, 1901. It is edited by John William Martin, and 

 presents a very attractive appearance. It contains a number of interest- 

 ing articles by well-known writers and several full-page half-tone illus- 

 trations of nests and eggs, including those of the American Eared Grebe, 

 the Western Grebe, and the American Coot. We extend to each of these 

 new comers a cordial welcome and our best wishes. 



The work of the Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 is of special interest to biologists as well as to the agriculturist. From 

 the Annual Report of the Acting-Chief of the Survey, Dr. T. S. Palmer, 

 for the year ending June, 1900, we gather the following : Field work was 

 carried on in southern Texas, particularly along the Gulf coast from 

 Corpus Christi to Brownsville and west to Laredo along the lower Rio 

 Grande, by Mr. Vernon Bailey and Mr. H. C Oberholser. The -work of 

 outlining the life zones in California was continued in the Coast Range, 

 and carried southward to San Francisco Bay, under the personal direc- 

 tion of Dr. Merriam, Chief of the Biological Survey, and work was also 

 continued on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, from Sierra Valley 

 to the Yosemite. Work was continued in Alaska, chiefly near the coast, 

 by Mr. W. H. Osgood, and Mr. E. A. Preble was sent on what proved to 



