Feb., 188^.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



15 



Canadian Tariff. — The writer in the No- 

 vember nviniber, who criticised the Cana- 

 dian book-tariff as applied to Coues' new 

 Check List, overlooked the fact that while 

 the Canadian duty on scientific books is 

 fifteen per cent., the duty when the same 

 books are imported into the United States 

 is twenty-five per cent. He says "This is 

 contrary to the British principles of free 

 trade." Exactly so, and for that very rea- 

 son it is in perfect accord with the Cana 

 dian principles of protection. — W. J^. Saun- 

 ders, Philadelphia. 



California Quail have been successfully 

 introduced into Auckland. The Acclima- 

 tization Society furnished Mr. T. B. Hill 

 with twelve brace, and when he put them 

 down on to their future home they seemed 

 to like the prospect amazingly, and being 

 healthy and not suffering from their long 

 Joui'uey, took to theu* legs and trotted 

 away in good style. So says Land and 

 Water of London. England. 



Chickens. I wrote you I had mounted a 

 hlack chicken which had four legs. Well, that 

 was before "election," when every one was 

 a hlack Republican, but now then I am to- 

 night presented with a pure white one 

 (alive) with the same complement of legs, 

 hatched since the " first Tuesday of No- 

 vember," showing that notwithstanding the 

 great political " revolution," we ornitholo- 

 gists keep up with the times, even if it ne- 

 cessitates a change of colors. — W. W. 

 Coe, Portland, Conn. 



BoB-o-LiNKS Avere common here during the 

 past Summer and stayed later than usual. 

 The last seen in the oat fields was August 

 30th. I saw but one in Kansas during a 

 two weeks' stay ; a male at Abilene, May 

 30, 1882. About thirty miles south of 

 Chicago, on the W., St. L. & P. R. R., on 

 June 6th, they were very abundant, and 

 from some of the meadows the males start- 

 ed in large, loose flocks as the train passed. 

 I think that there were at least twice as 

 many in Northern Illinois as are found 

 here. — John M. Howey, Canandaigiia. 



Great-horned Owl. — On a postal card 

 before us Dr. Wm. Wood states that he 

 once took five eggs from the nest of a G- 

 H. O. Will the Dr. please give us the his- 

 tory of this find. 



Chewink, Cowbird and Wood Thrush. — 

 I noticed Dr. Atkins' note concerning the 

 Cowbirds' eggs in the Wood Thrush's 

 nest, and will say that I have collected at 

 least three sets of Wood Thrush with Cow- 

 birds' eggs. I have also notes of the find- 

 ing of three Chewink s' nests which con- 

 tained each two eggs of the Cowbirds. 

 Never saw but one instance of their laying 

 in the nest of the Cai'dinal Red-bird — W. 

 T. Warwick 



Late Nesting. — The latest nesting that 

 has come under my observation was that 

 of a common Dove, under date of Sept. 

 10, 1882. I examined the eggs, which ap- 

 peared to be considerably incubated, but 

 did not collect them. The farmer in whose 

 orchard the nest was situated told me that 

 a Red Squirrel had destroyed the half- 

 fledged young of this bird several weeks 

 before, which probably accounts for the 

 lateness of this set. — W. T. Warwick, 

 Washington, Pa. 



Chat's Nest. — Oct. 12th, found at Noank 

 an old Chat's nest in a sweet-brier bush, 

 filled to the brim with leaves and debris, 

 but from which eggs were protruding. 

 Took a stick and poked out seven eggs, to 

 wit, three Cowbirds' and four Chats, all 

 with hole^ picked in them. Oct. 13th, 

 Snow-birds common. — <■/. M. W. 



Our Holiday Bird. — The Bluebird may 

 or may not be "poor," but as the old text 

 quaintly has it he is "always with us." By 

 the stern matter of record rigidly kept for 

 twelve months, I find he is the only bird 

 actually seen and noted, singly and in com- 

 panies, on every one of our National and 

 popular Holidays, as follows : New Year's, 

 St. Valentine's, St. Patrick's, (Fish Hawk's 

 Day,) All Fools, Fast Day, Decoration 

 Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and 

 Christmas. — J. M. W., Norwich^ Conn. 



