9 90 Notes and News. [_ j'"jy 



Mr. William H. Kobbe, Yale Forest School, New Haven, Conn., is 

 preparing a paper entitled ' Birds in Their Relation to Forestry,' and 

 would be very grateful for any information from the readers of 'The 

 Auk' concerning this subject. He wishes particularly notes regarding 

 the action of birds in the dissemination of seeds and in the destruction of 

 injurious forest insects. The opinion of ornithologists in regard to the 

 benefit or the reverse of Woodpeckers to tiie forest would also prove of 

 value. All information used will of course be acknowledged by the 

 author. 



From the recently published Seventh Annual Report of the New York 

 Zoological Society we learn that during the year 1902 the bird collection 

 was not sensibly increased, owing to the fact that no additional buildings 

 or aviaries could be provided, the construction of the proposed Ostrich 

 House having been necessarily deferred. A number of important species 

 were added, however, and the successful breeding of several species is 

 announced. The attempt to colonize the Osprey, through the introduc- 

 tion of a nest and some young birds from Gardner's Island, in a state of 

 freedom within the Park proved a failure. As soon as the young birds 

 acquired the power of strong flight "they flew away and failed to return." 

 Similar efforts with young gulls were also unsuccessful. Several species 

 of wild ducks, however, as the Wood Duck, Mallard, Widgeon, and Red- 

 head are frequently seen about the pools in the Park and several species 

 of herons are observed, attracted by their relatives in the great Flying 

 Cage. The number of species in the bird collection on December 31, 

 1902, was 193, represented by 680 individuals. 



In this same volume (pp. 154-159) the Curator of the Department of 

 Birds, Mr. C. William Beebe, has an interesting paper entitled, ' Some 

 Notes on the Psychology of Birds.' It is a pleasure to note that the 

 fine opportunity here offered for this kind of research is being so intelli- 

 gently utilized. 



The eggs of the Moa forms the subject of an interesting paper in 

 ' The Ibis ' for April (Ibis, 1903, pp. 18S-196), by Dr. A. B. Meyer, in 

 which he gives the history and present ownership of four nearly perfect 

 Moa's eggs, which represent three species ; also four more or less imper- 

 fect eggs, and models of five others. The eight of which the localities are 

 known are all from South Island, New Zealand. Dr. Meyer says: "Moa's 

 eggs are very much rarer than those of ^^pyornis, thirty-six of the latter 

 being known, whereas only three or four perfect Moa's eggs are as yet 

 recorded, besides a dozen or more imperfect or reconstructed specimens." 

 The eggs vary greatly in dimensions, the largest, "a nearly perfect " egg 

 of Dinornis novce-zelanidce Owen, in the Rowley Collection, measuring 

 252 by 17S mm., and a perfect egg of Pachyornis elephaiitopns ?, 195 by 135 

 mm. "Owen constructed the egg of Dinornis maximus to 412 by 326 mm." 



