160 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 10 



all descriptions. He also shows the following 

 mounted animals: wild cat, lynx, fox, jackass 

 rabbit and Nova Scotia wild rabbit. — [Hali- 

 fax Chronicle, Sept. 25. 



Correspondence. 



Editor of O. tfc O.: 



At the Halifax (N. S.) County exhibition 

 held at Dartmouth during the past month 

 (September) Mr. Harry E. Austen, the enthusi- 

 astic taxidermist of tiiat place, exhibited a 

 grand collection of stuffed birds. It consisted 

 of fourteen large cases and occupied about 

 seventy feet of space. Most of the specimens 

 had been obtained in Xova Scotia, and were 

 exquisitely mounted — showing the work of a 

 master-hand. Among those which had been 

 "set up" from skins was a magnificent pair of 

 Flamingoes, together with nest and eggs. The 

 attitudes of these birds were faultless and 

 showed how near perfection Mr. Austen has 

 brought his art. Other cases contained num- 

 erous specimens of Grouse, Hawks, Owls, 

 Gulls, Ducks, Herons, Bitterns, Egrets, Kails, 

 Gallinules, Plover, Curlew, and other shore- 

 birds, and there were also four cases t)f the 

 smaller land-birds, which, in many instances, 

 were acompanied by nests and eggs. The dis- 

 play was doubtless the most attractive feature 

 of the exhibition and was awarded first prize 

 witli special recognition. Besides the birds the 

 same gentlemen exhibited a wildcat, Canada 

 lynx, fox, jackass rabbit, and varying hare; 



all mounted with equally good taste. 



OI)s(^rrfr. 



Editor of <>. ,1- O.: 



It may be new to the readers of tlie O. it O. 

 to know that the Loon will breed in the same 

 nest after being disturbed; so here goes. It 

 was my good fortune to be up on the Grand 

 Manitoulin Island, Canada, fronting early in 

 July, this season (IS<)0). 



Sunday, July (ith, being a day of rest, our 

 guide who had taken two sets of Loon from 

 the same nest for me tliis season late in May 

 and June, said, "Boss, it you would like to 

 see a Loon's nest we will take tlie old boat aiul 

 go over and see if slu^ lias laid any more." 

 This, of couisc, was very welcome news, so off 

 we put to a mucky dei)osit of, say, twenty-five 

 acres in the rear of our guide's home. At the 

 lower corner of the lake on a shoal forty feet 

 from shore was a pile of lily roots, etc , from 

 the bottom of th(!hike similar, "only smaller,'' 

 to a muskrafs house. Mrs. Loon vacated it 



by sliding off into the water and coming up at 

 safe distance, where she set up a mournful 

 shriek for a few moments, later on taking 

 wing and going to the next lake for a "visit 

 with a neighbor," as the guide styled it, say- 

 ing "every morning botli jiair visit each other." 

 Judge my surprise at so late a day to see depos- 

 ited on the fiat pile of rank trash two fine 

 showy eggs. My guide took for me, in 1889, 

 two sets of two from a nest within two rods of 

 same spot, and again, in 1888, two from almost 

 the same spot. Do not know if it is the same 

 pair of birds, but for the past three years one 

 pair of birds have located in this lake, building 

 their nest in nearly tlie same spot. 



The last set of eggs varied greatly in size, 

 one being large as eggs in the May set, but the 

 other so small that you would not think tliem 

 a set if not positive as I am. 



Georf/c E. Harris. 



New Publications. 



Tlie O. (£• O. Spmi-Anniial has passed from 

 Mr. Foote into the hands of C. C. Maxfield. 

 Mr. Maxlield, assisted by J. B. Richards, Falj^ 

 River, Mass., will act as editor. Mr. Maxfield hi\^' 

 been a subscriber for some time to the O. & O., 

 and we wish him success. Semi-Annual, pub- 

 lished by C. C. Maxfield, box 224, Danbury, 

 Conn. 



Fable of Madame Mourning Dove and 

 Mrs. Golden crown. 



"Oo! Oo! why is it," whimpered Madame 

 Mourning Dove to neat little Mrs. Golden- 

 crown, one clear June morning, "why is it 

 that when that two-legged friend passed by 

 your obscure little domicile, and you just 

 slipped away cpiiefy, be left no leaf unturned 

 until he found it, while although I used every 

 effort to attract his atttention to my large and 

 h>fty abide he scarcely seemed to notice me." 



"I'll tell yon, in a jiffy, in a jiify," warbled 

 trim little Mrs. (ioldy, "but no, my dear, I 

 really cannot say, unless, perhaps, he thought 

 it wasn't worth the while." 



Moral: Wlieii a small man with a large 

 mouth buttonholes you on the street to tell his 

 little story, bid liini good morning. 



P. n. PcdhodiJ. 



J'.urlinulon, K:nisas. 



