188 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 15-No. 12 



gladly publish a brief history of him, if anyone 

 who was acquainted with him would give us 

 facts. 



Our second wildcat also came from E. E. 

 Best, Kingston, N. Y. It weighed twenty-four 

 pounds, and is said to be the largest ever shot 

 in tlie county. 



A Great Blue Heron was sliot at Lexington, 

 Dec. 8th. Rather late in the season. 



In the November issue were two errors, the 

 word full being used instead of fall Red Phal- 

 arope taken in Rhode Island, and the Franklin 

 Gull advertised for sale should have been fall 

 plumage. 



Among the first to take notice of our future 

 quarters was ,J. M. W., wlu) sends in his 

 sixteenth annual subscription. May they con- 

 tinue well into the future. 



On Dec. 4, J. M. AV. surprised two Snowy 

 Owls on Groton Long Boint, Conn., secuied 

 one. These make over sixty that have been 

 reported to us in New England by persons with 

 whom we sire acquainted. 



Tra. la In. 1800. 



Correspondence. 



Edtori^ of (). ci- <).: 



r wish to call the attention of the readers of 

 the O. & O. to the new " Bachelder method'" 

 of recording daily observations on birds. 

 Tiiis method, which Mr. Barlieldei' ably de- 

 scribed in YVk- ^4 (rA:, for April. 181)0, consists 

 of recording the actual number of each 

 species seen daily on slieets ruled for tiiat 

 purpose. I have used the system since Janu- 

 ary 1st, and find it to be entirely practicable 

 in every way, while the results obtained are 

 infinitely greater in importance than those of 

 any other method known to me. My notes 

 from January 1st to May l.")th were recorded 

 daily, and very successful, but to test the 

 method further, I used a modified blank dui- 

 ing the last of May, and until June '22(l, while 

 at sea, recording observations at the end of 

 each hour from 4 a. m. to 8 w m. instead of 

 daily, and the results were wonderful. For 

 use during migrations the system cannot 

 be surpassed, it being especially adapted to 

 wave study, a branch of migration little un- 

 derstood by many observers. 



If a number of active field workers wlio 

 were interested in the subject were to organ- 

 ize a society in New England, similar to the 

 "Delaware Valley Ornithological Club,"' the 

 results of their combined efforts and division 

 of labor could not fail to lie liigldy interesting 

 and equally important in promoting the 

 science of Ornitliology. 



Hoping that the O. & O. will lend a helping 

 hand toward the establishment of such an 

 importiint institution, I am very respectfully, 



Jf((n-i/ Gordon White. 



U. S. Firili Commission, Wooil's Holl, Mass. 



Editor of (). d- O. : 



Yours of the 18th duly received, eggs and 

 eyes also safely at hand. I will send check 

 for balance and also renewal of subscription 

 for O. cfe O., as the year is drawing to a close. 

 I don't see anything new ornithologically very 

 often, it's pretty much the same old story over 

 au.l over now — and yet I did secure, November 

 9th, a pure White .Sparrow, which I judge to 

 be of the variety Tree Sparrow, though there is 

 not the slightest mark to distinguish it — al- 

 though so perfect an All)ino it had perfectly 

 black eyes. 



Since I began to prepare this letter a War- 

 bler, I should think a Pine Warbler, came on 

 my arbor befoie my window when I was writ- 

 ing, I took my little gun and secured it. It's a 

 little puzzling, only a very small white spot on 

 one tail feather, each side quite yellowish on 

 breast and throat, with faint yellow stripe over 

 eye, — general colors like a Pine or female 

 Black-poll Warbler, rather small for either. I 

 liave all our New England Warblers, but this 

 seems to vary especially in tlie small amount of 

 white on the tail. I think it most favois the 

 Pine Warbler, especially on the wing markings. 

 There was one funny tiling happened about 

 my place last summer which I mean to write 

 up, if I ever get a chance, about a Bluebird 

 that continued day after day and week after 

 week to beat itself against my window. 



John N. Clark. 

 SavlTooU. ft. 



Editor of <). <t O.: 



You tell Mr. Chas. ILillock to get out on the 

 river more and watch the descendants of the 

 English Sparrow, for you know as well as I 

 that they are all American born which we see 

 to-day. 



I can tell the Eorcat and Stream that the 

 English Sparrow has cheated me out t)f many 

 a, bright insect, and that it is all out of place 

 to say that they eat only the droppings, or 

 what is fed to them. 



1 am English born, have been all over this 

 globe, and think the Forest and Stream is 

 clever, in its w.ay, but let Mr. Ilnllock do as 

 Wilson and Audubon did, see for himself. He 

 cannot find out these things in a city, looking 

 at ten-story buildings: he slionhl b<^ out in tlui 

 woods. J. F. 



T) 



