136 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 9 



THE 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



— AND — 



OOLOGIST. 



A MOSTHLY MAGAZISE OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



ESPECIALLY DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF 



BIRDS. 



THEIR NESTS AND EOOS. 



DE:*I(iNED AS A MEANS FOR THE INTERCHANGE OP NOTES 

 AND OBSERVATIONS ON BIRD LIFE. 



FRA.NK B. WEBSTER, Publisher, 

 PAWTUCKET, K. I. 



Editor's Notes. 



We recently called attention (0. and O., 

 X, p. 72) to the fact that the American Or- 

 nithologists' Union had secured a grant 

 from Congress for tlie establishment of a 

 branch of Economic Ornithology under the 

 division of Entomology of the Department 

 of Agriculture. Of this branch, Dr Merriam 

 has been appointed Ornithological Agent. 



A circular issued bj' Dr. Merriam saj's, 

 "The scope of the investigation mil cover 

 the entire field of the inter-relation of birds 

 and agriculture, particularly from the en- 

 tomological stand-point. The inquiry will 

 relate primarily to the food habits of birds, 

 but will include also the collection of data 

 bearing on the migration and geographical 

 distribution of North American species. 



The co-operation of farmers is 



solicited, and those having knowledge of 

 food-habits which are beneficial or detri- 

 mental to agricultural or horticultm-al in- 

 terests are requested to communicate the 

 same to Dr. Merriam. 



The assistance of persons willing to aid 

 in the collection of birds' stomachs is par- 

 ticularly desired. 



Information is also wanted concerning 

 the presence and liabits of the so-called 

 •' English Sparrow " ( Passer domesticns) iu 

 the Southern States and in the region west 

 of the Mississippi. " 



The questioti, considered in its Economic 

 Relation to Agriculture, is thus concisely 

 stated : "The wholesale slaughter of small 

 birds has been known to be followed by 

 serious increase of noxious insects. On 

 the other hand, invasions of insects which 

 threatened to devastate large tracts of 

 coiintry have been cut nearly short bj- the 

 timely services of some of our native birds." 



A circular containing a series of ques- 

 tions has also been issued designed to sys 

 temize the proposed researches. Copies 

 may be obtained by addressing Dr. C. Hart 

 Merriam at Sing Sing, N. Y., until October 

 1st: after that date at tlie Department, 

 Wasliington. D. C. 



Obituary. 



DR WM. WOOD, EAST WINDSOR HILL, CONN. 



It is again our painful duty to record the 

 loss of one of our most valued contribu 

 tors. Few names are better known in the 

 ornithological world than that of Dr. 

 Wood. A well-known physician in the 

 State to which he belonged, he was more 

 widely known as an enthusiastic naturalist 

 — and especially as an ornithologist whose 

 opinion was widely sought and universally 

 respected. He was also a taxidermist of 

 large experience and talent. His collection 

 of birds and eggs both native and foreign 

 is one of the largest in private hands in the 

 country. It is said, probably with truth, 

 that a large jiroportion of them have been 

 prepared by his own hands. 



His writings have consisted principally 

 of communications to local and other papers 

 mainly on the bu-ds and fishes of New 

 England. He also contributed to some of 

 the earlier volumes of this Magazine, but 

 of late he confined himself to occasional 

 notes on subjects which were being dis- 

 cussed. 



Dr. Wood died at his residence. East 

 Windsor Hill, Sunday evening, August 9th, 

 at the age of sixtv-three years. 



