62 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 4 



ists to have tlie tariff revised. If birds are to 

 be used for millinery purposes, puttin<;' the 

 skins on the free list will i)laee the bri<;hter 

 plumage of tropical birds at a lower price and 

 thus protect our natives. Birds will be used, tor 

 millinerii purposes, either as a whole or i)arts, 

 for years lo come. 



In this we shall be pleased to join hands 

 with the Fibre and Fabhic for free trade to 

 protect our birds. 



Let us Have a Popular Vote. 



As we have previously intimated we have 

 heard many criticisms on the changing, some 

 two years since, of the common names of a 

 few of our well-known birds by the A. O. U., 

 which if we are not in error was done by a 

 very few, on their own responsibility, while it 

 may be a very popular change, and if so we 

 certainly would offer no objections. We be- 

 lieve it will be of interest to all (uir readers to 

 know what is the general o|)inion. We give 

 below a list of four species, lirst as they were 

 previously known, and second as named by 

 the A. O. U. We reciuest all who read this, 

 whetlier a subscriber or not, if interested in 

 ornithology to send us liis vote which he pre- 

 fers, the old, or the new, and we will announce 

 tiie result at a future time. We would be glad 

 to have our exchanges obtain a like opinion 

 from their readers and we will announce it at 

 the same time. 



OLD — ( OM Ml ).\ X A M F.S. 



A. (). U. Xo. 5:54. Snow IJunting. 



540. (rrass Finch, l>ay-winged 



Ijunting. 

 54ti. Yellow-winged Sparrow. 

 (•)('4. Black-throated Bunting. 



NKW — v. (>. r. XAMKS. 



A. (). r. No. 5;!4. Snowtlake. 



540. Vesi)er Si)arrow. 



54(i. firasshoi)per Sparrow. 



(i04. Dickcissel. 



Brief Notes. 



Ill tlio Carnival lutinber of tlii' Halifax (N.S.) Kveiiiiifr 

 Mail, .Mr. Harry Tiers jiives us a short biojirapliical 

 notice of a few of the " Coinmoii Birds of Nova S(M)tia," 

 written iusueli a pleasing vein that it arrests the atten- 

 tion of the most casual reader. The descriptions fairly 

 smack of the various scenes jjeeiiliar to each bird, and 

 his rendition of their life in their own haunt-; is i)ar- 

 tieularly attractive. 



What is It?— A Mr. White from Mic^liigan, who has 

 been exploring the Okefeenokee Swamp, (ieorgia, says 

 he killed an animal there of which natural histor\- gives 



no account. It resembled a_ turtle somewhat, but was 



4 1-2 feet long and 2 feet wide. The back was covered 

 with a hard, scaly substance somewhat like an alliga- 

 tor's hide, and the creature had a long, hooked beak. 

 — [Boston Journal. 



We notice in the April issue of the Auk (Vol. VIl, 

 p. 2i»I) in a note on the occurrence of the Turkey \'ul- 

 ture in Massachusetts the writer has overlooked a 

 capture in Boston Harbor, May 30. 188!), and recorded 

 (O.S: (). Vol. XIV, \). 95) at that time. The O. & O. 

 should be read more carefully. 



Our attention has been called by several subscribers 

 to the fact that a publisher of an amateur publication 

 has advertised l)aok volumes of the (). & O. for .sale at 



05 cents each. The pri(-e for Vols. IX to XV is §1.00 

 vixch and will not be less. The party made the otter, 

 we presume, on a stock of one copy that we have always 

 furnished liiin gratuitously. vVe assure our readers 

 that clean, jierfect copies cannot be procured from hiin 

 or any other i)arty at less thin our regular price. We 

 take this opportunity to again notify news agents and 

 dealers that the O. & O. is not to be advertiseil at cut 

 rates, and we mean it. 



He was an egg collector, 

 Of nests a good detector; 

 .So he was. 



He could climb a tree instant, 

 From the time he was infant; 

 Yes he could. 



But one day our fine collector, 

 1 am the sad relator ; 

 Ves I am, 



Saw a nest on limb distant, 

 And shinned out, (juite gallant; 

 So he (lid. 



When he met an agitator. 

 That made him bellow like a 'gaitor; 

 Yes it did. 



A hornet was the tenant. 

 With a sting long as a pennant ; 

 Yes it was ! 



He fell, like a knocked-out gladiator. 

 And it jiroved a dislocator 

 Of his neck. 



The moral is important, 

 Stings come when unexpectant ; 

 Yes they (b). 



Fred .). Brezee writes, "I have mounted fifty-si.x 

 Snowy Owls this season." The first one was from Iowa, 

 >'ov. 18. Nearly all came from a small town in Nebraska . 



March 30. 1800, first large tlock of robins seen at 

 Halifax, N.S. 11. .Vusteii. 



The Wolverine Naturalist for MMr<h is reduced to 

 less than three pages of reading matter. We fear it 

 will be a little discouraging to those subscribers who 

 are promised a 24-iiage monthly. 



Was it suicide? Last fall (_'ai)t. R. F. Nickerson, 

 with another party while hunting, drove a fox out on 

 to a point of land, when jiressed by the dogs. Ueynard 

 deliberately iduuged into the surf and was drowned. 

 The body was obtained by using a boat. 



By referring to our advertising page it will be seen 

 that Mr. John N. Sage has charge of the oological de- 

 partment of the Observer. Mr. Sage is a well-known 

 ornithologist. He has been a subscriber for the O.S: O. 

 for many years. 



Dr. .\. I'. Chaillxnirne has added two of the original 

 specimens of .Maynar<rs Coast Jay to his collection. 



Ain>ui30N's "HiiiDs oi- A.MKHU A."— Twenty-two of 

 the fortnightly numbers of Auilubon's ••Birds of 



