184 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 12 



THE 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



— AND — 



OOLOGIST. 



A MO.yrilLY MAGAZIXE OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



ESrECIALLV DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF 



BIRDS. 



TIIEin yESTS AXD EGGS. 



DESIONED AS A MEANS FOR TUE INTEKC!1ANGE OF NOTES 

 AND OBSERVATIONS ON BIRD LIFE. 



FRANK B. WEBSTER, Publisher, 

 PAWTUCKET, B. I. 



Editor's Notes. 



Our issue this month brings us to the 

 close of our tenth vohime — five vohimes of 

 "The Oologist," and five of the "The Or- 

 nithologist and Oologist." This period of 

 ten years is a long one for the existence of 

 a Magazine which appeals only to a small 

 class in the community, aclass widely scat- 

 tered and difficult to get at. We have en- 

 deavored, with what success oiu' readers 

 nnist be the judges, to meet their wants 

 and to provide for them an opportiiuity for 

 the interchange of their observations. 

 What our Magazine lacks is adequate suj)- 

 port. For this we have striven so far in 

 vain, but always hoiiing for an improvement 

 in the not distant future. 



This month completes Dr. Morris Gibbs' 

 "Catalogue of the Birds of Kalamazoo 

 County, Mich," also Prof. Cooke's series of 

 the "Mississippi Valley Migration," both 

 of which form permanent records for future 

 reference — the former as it contains a list 

 of the birds of that locality complete so far 

 as now known — -the other a series of obser- 

 vations on the annual travels of certain of 

 our best known and most widely scattered 

 varieties. Our best thanks are due to these 

 gentlemen for then- continued efforts, as 

 also to our other friends who from time to 



time have provided us with articles. It has 

 always been our endeavor to fill owe col- 

 umns with original commiuiications, and 

 for these whenever thej' possess any fea- 

 tures which we deem of general interest, 

 we will gladly find space. 



I have received many valuable hints from 

 readers of the O. and O. in connection with 

 the articles on Taxidermy now in prepara- 

 tion, also inquiries in regard to them. It 

 is my intention, if possible to give an arti- 

 cle on mounting [Stuffing] birds in the 

 January number, one on small animals in 

 Feliruary, and complete the series in March 

 and April. After that all the articles to- 

 gether with those on Entomology by 

 Messrs. Wright and Bates, one on Oology 

 by M. Abbott Frazar, which will shortly 

 appear, will be reprinted in book form. 



I was induced to give the readers of the 

 "O. and 0." the benefit of a first pierusal 

 of my notes. I have to acknowledge the 

 receipt of an ingenious stand to hold 

 birds, from E. V. Clemmens, Esq., and an 

 article on j)reserving badly damaged speci- 

 mens, by James Speed, Jr., to both of which 

 future reference will be made. Useful 

 criticism in regard to my methods will be 

 gladly recorded. F. B. Webster. 



Oology of New England. 



It gives us jDleasure to announce that a 

 long needed want has a prospect of being 

 sniiplied. We refer to an illustrated work 

 on Bird's Eggs. Mr. E. A. Cajjen has been 

 engaged in an undertaking which in itself 

 is of a magnitude well calculated to debar 

 any private individual, except one of more 

 than ordinary skill and determination. 

 From the proofs that are to-day handed 

 to us, we are fully satisfied it will obtain 

 well merited success. With artistic and 

 natural skill, he has i^aiuted in oil, some 

 three hundred and twenty-three full-size 

 sketches, representing all the species of 

 eggs that are known to have been taken in 

 New England. These have been repro 



