78 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 5 



to dry. The piece, of which there are several duplicates^ 

 was designed and executed by F. B. Webster. The 

 company have adopted it for a trade mark, and we are 

 informed that they propose to use a lithograph of it 

 for a calendar. 



Harry Gordon White is to have a six weeks' furlough 

 which he will spend at the Magdalen Islands. He ex- 

 pects to have a fine opportunity to collect in that 

 locality. 



Walter Hoxie has returned from a collecting trip. 

 We have just received an article on Seminole names 

 which will be given to our readers in a future issue. 



W. Otto Emerson writes that he was to leave Hay- 

 ward's, Cal., on the 14th, for Paris, France, where he 

 will study art at the Academy of Julain, for two years. 

 He will be ol)liged to give up his ornithological ex- 

 changing during the time. We anticipate a call from 

 him while on his way. 



During the first week of May reports came in from 

 all quarters of the arrival of spring birds. W. F. Had- 

 ley, Arlington, Mass., reported, the first of the week. 

 Yellow, Parula, Prairie, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated 

 Green, Nashville and Black and White Warblers, Oven- 

 bird, Solitary Vireo, and Wood Thrush. We received 

 the first Tanager on the Gth. 



March 28, Woodcock seen at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. 

 Big Duck shooting at Three-Fathom Harbor. April 

 1,'5, Barn Swallows, Rollins, Juncos, Song S])arrows, 

 Blue Jays, Hudsonian Tits, Rusty Grackle and flocks 

 of Fox Sparrows, seen. Harry Austen, Halifax. 



A list of memlicrs of the Colorado Biological Asso- 

 ciation has been received. After June 1 the address of 

 the secretary, T. D. A. Cockerell will be, 5 Prior Road, 

 Bedford Park Chiswick, London, England. 



C. F. Newell sends in two large photos, one of Deers' 

 heads, and the other of the entire animal. We have 

 before referred to that gentleman as being one of 

 Maine's young taxidermists of promise. 



And now comes a very nicely executed photo of a 

 group of Hawks taken by flash light at night by Henry 

 Norris, son of J. Parker Norris, Esq. 



Harry Austen has a bear cub. It is a tame little 

 fellow, sleeps in the room with him and is a family 

 pet. He offers it for sale. Anyone wanting such a pet 

 has a rare opportunity. 



F. B. Webster recently purchased about 30,000 feet 

 of land at the Hazelwood station, Hyde Park, Mass., on 

 which to erect buildings suitable to carry on the Nat- 

 viral History business. The museum building will be 

 commenced ;it once. It is located on the Old Colony 

 railroad, Providence division, seven miles out fnnii 

 Boston. Salesroom will be at the old stand, 409 Wa>li- 

 ington street, Boston. 



We are receiving a numlier of letters from our sub- 

 scribers asking about Oliver Davies' new work on 

 taxidermy. We assure you all that we consider that it 

 will be a book that will rejtay you well if you invest in 

 it. The publisher of the O. & O. subscrilied for ten 

 copies personally. The subscription price is $r->. Blanks 

 will be furnished upon application. $1 must accom- 

 pany order as a matter of good faith. The work will 

 not be imblishcd except upon receiving 500 subscribers. 

 The name of each substrriber will be published in it, 

 and the number limited. Give Mr. Davie a good 

 endorsement. 



An exchange gives an account of a party who adver- 

 tised for birds' eggs in a Nevada paper, and the next 



day a notice was published in the paper calling atten- 

 tion to the adv. and threatening anyone who disturbed 

 nests. It's one thing to threaten, but a horse of another 

 color to execute. We have a threatening angel in this 

 state, but our ornithologists don't appear to worry 

 much. 



John C. Cahoon started for a four months' trip to 

 Newfoundland early in May. He was well muzzled by 

 a contract not to collect any S])ecimens for himself, 

 give any notes to the jjublic, nor to go there again for 

 three years. We are not sure whether lie was required 

 to leave his soul as security. And still they kick up at 

 the lack of liberty in Russia, but money will compete 

 with the Czar every time. 



William Brewster has added the Boston Turkey 

 Buzzard to his collection. When that gentleman sees 

 a good thing he appreciates it. Turkey Buzzards, and 

 in fact anything from Boston, are not to be sneezed at. 



We now have a den of black snakes at our office, five 

 crawling, wriggling, cold-blooded chaps. Noting the 

 wish ou the part of the people to exterminate the 

 English Sparrow, we placed one of them in the cage to 

 see if the projiosition of the fish commissioners to use 

 thein for food would be approved by our pets. About 

 that time Mrs. Maynard, the wife of one of our best 

 known naturalists called and pleaded for the life of the 

 bird. We could not resist and ])resented it to her. No 

 use, the best friends of our birds are our ornithologists. 



Raleigh, N.C , April 11, IS'.iO.— O. & O. duly received 

 — is more beautiful than ever this year. I like the idea 

 of ])iitting one's 'speriences in Brief Notes, so will give 

 our luck this season. 



Pine Warbler started building, March 4, twenty- 

 three days earlier than last two years, but tlie sudden 

 and violent changes in weather completely demoralized 

 thein, and eggs are not panning out as well as the 

 number of nests found. 



Took three young Woodcock in down, March 10, and 

 two sets of Brown-headed Nuthatch, March 24. 



Have found two nests (now about half finished) of 

 Yellow-throated Warbler (Dendroica dominica) awtX am 

 glad to see a pair of Broad-winged Hawks summoning 

 up courage to fix up their last year's nest. 



Will somebody please solve this, it's been pitched 

 into me several times : Two snakes met, No. 1 seized 

 the other by the tail, No. 2 reciprocated, and each 

 started to swallow the other. What was the result? 



Correspondence. 



More Facts on the Shrike Question. 



Editors of O. & O.: 



Have taken four Great Nortliern Shrikes 

 this past winter. Tlio stomacli of one con- 

 tained a small grasshopper in addition to a 

 good sized "wad" of hair and bones. The 

 stjmachs of the other tliree contained the 

 " wad" of hair and bones, but no insects. On 

 Marcli 24, 1S90, (the last shrike of the winter), 

 I observed a, shrike take a snitill Nixike about 

 twelve to eighteen inches long; [ clniscd liini 

 from tree to tree, but could not get a shot at 

 him. At last lie dropped the snake .and I tookit. 

 Tlie head of snake was gone and a fair part of 



