248 



Notes and News. [April 



many of these unfortunate people have not found work, and are suffering 

 greatly from it, and when we consider that we have had a winter une- 

 qualled before for its severity and length, you can imagine what hai'm 

 has been done to these interesting people by raising a war cry against the 

 wearing of bird skins, feathers, etc. No doubt it shows how good-hearted 

 are the persons, who, for sympathy for the poor little birds, have agreed 

 in not wearing any of them in future, .... but as I said before, it is 

 quite a luistake, and I feel much more interested in the well-being of two 

 /i/indred thousand of my fellotv-creatures, of whom I know many in par- 

 ticular, and which are deserving the greatest interest for their industi'y 

 and probity, than for the birds, and I hope that this notice will not have 

 been written in vain." Such a naive combination of confession and 

 appeal, from a leading wholesale dealer in bird-skins for inillinery use, 

 carries its own comment. No doubt the same philanthropic feelings, 

 but evidently not the same frankness, are shared by dealers nearer home, 

 who also have a trade journal, but who deny that improved sentiment in 

 behalf of bird protection has had anything to do w-ith the decline in the 

 bird trade for millinery purposes. 



While Dr. Mearns would hereby return thanks to those who have so 

 kindly responded to his call for Sparrow Hawks and Snipe (see Jan. No. 

 of 'The Auk,' p. 123), he finds his investigation of the former cannot be 

 satisfiictoriiy completed on account of lack of material, unless he is fur. 

 thur favored with the loan of specimens. The Sparrow Hawks promise 

 interesting results, in case a sufficient number of specimens can be 

 brought together. We trust this reminder will bring the desired addi- 

 tional material. 



Mr. Frank M. Chapman proposes to study the relationships of the 

 Bronzed, Purple, and Florida Grackles. He will be grateful for the loan 

 of material illustrating this group and especially desires specimens of 

 breeding birds taken on or near the confines of their habitat. Specimens 

 may be sent to Mr. Chapman at the American Museum of Natural His- 

 tory, New York City. 



