44 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 6 



William MacGillivray. 



In a previous number we gave some 

 facts about the Birth, Death and Publica- 

 tions of the above ornithologist, who was 

 a bosom friend and congenial companion 

 to Audubon. It is generally well known 

 that he wrote the scientific part of Audu- 

 bon's " Birds of America." He did it for a 

 consideration. He never claimed that he 

 had done for Audubon what Audubon 

 could not have done for himself had he 

 had the time and the inclination. Mac- 

 Gillivray was, without question, the most 

 thorough ornithologist this world has yet 

 produced. He had a great dislike of 

 " closet naturalists " that studied dry skins. 

 He was thorough in his study of bird Hfe ; 

 equally thorough when liis specimen was 

 shot. He gave as much attention to the 

 internal structure of a bird as to the exter- 

 nal feathering. He was equally happy 

 hammering rocks, studying botany, fresh 

 or salt water fish and shells. He made a large 

 number of drawings of birds, fish, etc., 

 mostly life-size, with a view of publishing, 

 but for some reason they were never given 

 to the public. He lived in the age of cost- 

 ly works, and no doubt it was considered 

 too risky a venture after Audubon had 

 produced his great work, and the Avorks by 

 Jardine and Selby, besides one or two edi- 

 tions of Wilson's works had been placed 

 upon the market. It was no doubt dis- 

 couraging to him to end up with a five 

 volume 8vo work after preparing plates for 

 a work as large as Audubon's double ele- 

 phant folio. If his drawings were like one 

 in our possession, it was certainly a loss 

 the world will not soon make good. The 

 specimen in qu^estion is a pair of Chaffin- 

 ches on a double branch of horse chestnut. 

 The time chosen is in the Spring when the 

 birds were mating, and the horse chestnut 

 putting out its leaves. It was drawn in 

 May, 1831, and inscribed " to my esteemed 

 friend, J. J. Audubon." As a specimen of 

 ornithological and botanical drawing we 



have never seen it equalled. The coloring 

 is just as good to-day as it was fifty two 

 years ago, and there is not a part of either 

 birds, branch, or opening leaves, that will 

 not stand the test of even the microscope. 

 At the time the above drawing was made 

 the world was actually overstocked with 

 the rarest ornithological talent. From 

 1825 to 1845 was an era in ornithological 

 discoveiy and the production of illustrated 

 works on ornithology that will probably 

 never be excelled. 



Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — A few years 

 ago the query, arose whether the female 

 Regulus calendula had a red crest. The 

 matter was apparently set at rest by Dr. 

 Coues who stated that both sexes were 

 thus adorned after the first year. I have 

 asked several ornithologists regarding this 

 matter and am unable to find any one who 

 has seen a female thus decorated, though 

 all seem inclined to consider the matter 

 settled. . I have taken quite a large num- 

 ber myself and fail to find any but males 

 with crests. Will my fellow collectors use 

 their opportunities this spring ? Proof 

 of this characteristic in a common species 

 should rest with more than one witness. — 

 Fred. T. Jencks, Providence., R. I. 



An April Walk. 



At 8 a. m., April 10, I started for a four 

 hour's walk through field and Avood to a 

 Barred Owl's nest. Under an obscured 

 sun, with a warm south wind, the condi- 

 tions were favorable to activity among the 

 feathered residents and to the ari'ival of 

 Summer colonists. While dressing, the 

 noise of trouble in the sparrow world drew 

 me to the window in time to see a red 

 squirrel go into a sparrow's hole in an elm, 

 where I am glad to think he had a hearty 

 breakfast on the eggs of this pest now 

 rightly outlawed in our sister State of 

 Massachusetts. Pass — Passer domesticus ! 

 Before reaching the street I noted a jay 

 eating the buds of apple-trees and took 



