96 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 6 



C. E. Hoyle, of Milbury, is the centre of Natural 

 History interest in his locality. He has quite a fine 

 collection, and from what we hear, many of his young 

 friends are having the benelit of it together with his 

 advice and assistance, and it is not a money making 

 scheme. 



Is there not a little vinnecessary tinting, when the 

 assertion is made that the English Sparrow is driving 

 off our native birds? We do not notice it, and also 

 have laith that our native birds can look out for their 

 own interests. 



"Who is the " well-known" ornithologist of Buffalo, 

 N.Y., that has lately published a work on birds in 

 which, if we judge from press qiu)tations, he has 

 devoted his energy mostly to attacking the ornitholog- 

 ical members of the Agassiz Association? We should 

 think that organization would present him with an 

 easy chair in which to spend the remainder of his days. 



The Summer Hat. 



At the Hub.— Celia. "Jennie, I have given up the 

 idea of wearing a bird on my hat, it is so cruel." 

 Jennie. " Why, Celia ! What will you wear?" 

 Celia. " Why, I l)ought me a lovely bunch of feather 

 tlowers, a cluster of pompons, and three silver-tipped 

 quills." 



At Gotham.— Enthusiastic clerk. "Ah, madam, 

 allow me to show you some artificial birds. This one, 

 of Impeyan and Hummer, is exquisite, made by hand, 

 regular mosaic work !" 



Mrs. Tenderheart. " Oh, how artistic, just the thing. 

 I am so glad that I have found a substitute for birds. 

 I did hate so dreadfully to see the dear little things jiut 

 to such a use. Do you think thrte would be too many? 

 Also had I better not have a spray of colored Egret to 

 match?" 



At Chicago. — Mother of blooming daughter to clerk. 

 " I think I will have the hat covered with a Swan. Let 

 the head project over front. Spread the wings, line 

 them with Eagle quills, and have a pompon of Duck's 

 wings. Makeit strong so it will last till the exhibition." 



Homer L. P>igelow sailed on the Ttli for Newfound- 

 land, where be will spend some three months, devoting 

 the time to ornithological study of that section. He 

 will represent the O. & O., and it his trip is successful 

 we hope to be able to lurnish our readers with notes of 

 interest from that section. 



Frank A. Brown, of Beverly, Mass., reports finding a 

 set of six eggs of the Red-bellied Nuthatch {Siita cana- 

 densis) on May 23, 1890. The nest was composed of 

 grape-vine bark, dried grass, etc., in a hole in a maple 

 stub, ten feet from the ground. The hole was about 

 eight inches deep. The eggs measured .02 x .49 ; .03 x .49 ; 

 .G;x.49; .G2X.52; .62x.49; .01 x .50. 



The Crow's Fondness for Chicken.— It is getting 

 so now that the farmer and poultry raiser have more to 

 fear from the ravages of the Crow than from all others 

 of the feathered tribe. He will come d<(wn into the 

 door-yard, right under the farmer's nose and fly off 

 with a chick, and the old "scare-crow" of by-gone 

 days has no effect upon his nibship when he is after 

 his favorite morsel. Why is it that, until lately, we 

 have heard nothing of this habit of the Crow? Is it 

 something new of him? I for one have noticed it 

 only for the past two years.— [S. R. Ingersoll, Ballston 

 Spa, N.Y, 



South Framingham, Mass., May 17, Q Mrginia Rail 

 and ten eggs taken. Incubation, four to six days. Lo- 

 cality, east side Milford Branch R.R. south of Fram- 

 ingham. F. E. Coombs. 



The list given in May issue, as being subscribers in 

 1881, and appearing on our books for 1890, only included 

 those who had been continuous and taken the O. & O. 

 in their own name. 



George G. Cantwell has removed to Colorado Springs, 

 Colo. We have received some notes from him which 

 will be published soon. 



Frank A. Bates (Editor) will start on the 21st for a 

 trip to the Dead River region, New Hampshire. This 

 district, near Mount Nancy, while only comparatively 

 a short trip from Boston is abnost unexplored. 



A Yellow-breasted Chat, taken at Arlington Heights, 

 Mass., June 6. W. P. Hadley. 



The small auxiliary barrel, made to slip into a 12- 

 guage gun, in which can be used .32-cal. shells, is 

 becoming quite popular. They shoot well and make 

 little noise. 



As previously noted, considerable effort was made 

 during the past season by l^oston sportr>men to intro- 

 duce in this state game birds from tlie west. The 

 attempt is one that is of great interest to us all, and 

 we hope that our collectors will refrain from shooting 

 any of the (juail species. It is an easy matter to obtain 

 specimens for our use from the west, far more so than 

 to procure them alive, as ha-i been ilone by these gen- 

 tlemen. Let us all unite in assisting what will l>e a 

 future benefit. Remember, self-denial will be an im- 

 portant feature. 



Correspondence. 



Evening Grosbeak in Michigan. 



Editor of O. it- O. ; 



I see in this journal a number of naturalists 

 speaking of the Eveninfj Grosbeak. May IT 

 I shot three $ birds. There were a number 

 shot here this winter, and the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak is very common just now. 



J. Ilazelwood. 



Fort Gratiot, Mich., May 18, 1890. 



Editor of O. tfc O.; 



Allow me to add an instance of the breedinp; 

 of Wilson's Thrush in Pennsylvania, to the 

 report of Messrs. Norris and Koch in May 

 O. & O. I have a set of three egys of this 

 bird taken June 10, 1885, in Delaware County, 

 Pa. Tkad. Surhcr. 



White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. 



Nest and Eggs of the Ruby-crowned 

 Kinglet. 



On June ilth, Harry Austen secured a nest 

 and eleven eggs of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet 

 at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. His notes of last 

 year will be remembered by our readers. His 

 record stands first. 



