32 



OEOTTHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 12-1^0. 2 



and habits, flying about in the liot sunshine, the 

 brilliant green streaks on its wings flashing as 

 it rapidly dashes b}'. It is c^uite ooinnion, but a 

 very diflit-ult thing to capture, as it alights but 

 seldom and has a very rapid and irregular flight, 

 generally over the water at that. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The A. O. U. and the Amateurs. 



The Editor Ornitholouist a^nd Oologist,— Sir; 

 Dr. Nortlu'up's letter in your December issue, proves 

 conclusively that that gentleman's opinion ot the at- 

 titude of the A. O. U. toward the Amateurs has been 

 formed from a misapprehension of the facts. 



That Dr. Xorthrup utters opinions before carefully 

 considering them, his letter also proves, for no other 

 explanation can be given for his asserting that all the 

 scientists of the United States are members of the A. 

 O. U. The active members of the A. O. U. hardly 

 number fifty, while the Scientists number — I do not 

 know exactly how many, but if my memory serves 

 me, the last Directory 1 examined gave the names of 

 some four thousand. This is quite an error, but it is 

 not further from exactness than are Dr. Northrup's 

 assertions regarding the A. O. U. I ana ready to be- 

 lieve that these mistakes were made through thought- 

 lessness—through forming an opinion too hastilj' and 

 upon too slight evidence — but while such care- 

 lessness might be excused in a school boy, it is 

 scarcely pardonable when committed by a man who 

 has earned the right to place M. D. after his name, 

 and is especiallj- censurable if committed when crit- 

 icising the action of others. 



All that Dr. Northrup has to offer in support of his 

 charge against the A. O. U. of unfriendliness toward 

 the Amateurs is, that every person professional as 

 well as amateur, who shall obtain a permit to kill 

 certain species, shall give a bond and have his appli- 

 cation signed by two scientific gentlemen. 



That there was a necessity for such a law, every 

 one must regret, but that the law proposed by the A. 

 O. U. committee contains anything tliat is unfair to 

 the Amateui-s, or which place them on a different 

 footing from the scientists, can not, I think, be 

 claimed by any one who gives the wording of the law 

 his careful consideration. 



Dr. Northrup's charge against an unnamed 

 member of the A. O. U. is too serious a matter to be 

 treated of so lightly. At least, Dr. Northrup should 

 give the name of the aggressor, that the other mem- 

 bers of the Union may be relieved of the accusation, 

 and that the party who is responsible for it may ex- 

 plain his action and receive the condemnation he de- 

 serves. But my knowledge of the gentlemen who 

 compose the A. O. U. will not permit me to think that 

 anj'ofthem would be guilty of such dastardly con- 

 duct, and I am forced to conclude this, also, is a mis- 

 conception of the facts — a misunderstanding prob- 

 ably, of some tale. 



I should thank Dr. Xorthrup for his implied com- 

 pliment, that 1 am no longer to be classed among the 

 Amateurs, but I fear that if he sbould glance over the 



ornithological work I have so far accomplished and 

 surely, a student is to be judged by his work, and not 

 by a position that the accident of birth has gained 

 for him, he would be induced to change his opinion. 



But these personalities and discussion of mere o- 

 pinion are leading us away from the real question at 

 issue which is .—Do the Amateurs receive friendly 

 consideration from the Scientists? My impression 

 leads me to believe that they do. I have heard of 

 numerous cases in which young students have been 

 freely given most valuable aid in their studies ; I 

 have yet to learn of one case in which a scientist has 

 treated an amateur unfairly or slightedly because be 

 was an amateur, and I challenge Dr. Northrup or 

 any other reader of the O. and O. to name such an in- 

 stance. 



When commencing my own studies of birds I was 

 obliged to call for help on the very leaders of Ameri- 

 can ornithologists because I knew of no others, and 

 I knew these only by name; yet I never called in vain. 

 I was unknown to these gentlemen and had no claim 

 upon them whatever — was merely a sti'ange voice in 

 the wilderness calling for aid, yet most courteously 

 and generously was aid given to me. I was the most 

 unlearned of amateurs. 1 had to ask such questions 

 as, what book shall I get to assist me? and sent many 

 a common bird of the field for identification ; but 

 from all to whom I .applied, and the list of names, 

 includes those of whom you of the United States 

 should never cease to feel proud, I received none but 

 the most kindly instruction, encouraging and cour- 

 teous letters. I can not think that these men would 

 treat their own people with less consideration than 

 they bestowed upon a stranger. 



MONTAGUE CHAMBERLAIN, 



ST. .JOHN, X. B., Dec. 31, 1886. 



Recent Publications, 



Messrs., Little Broavn & Co., of Boston have re- 

 cently published a volume entitled A Xomeclature of 

 Colors for Xaturalists and Compendium of nseful know- 

 ledge for Ornithologists. The author is Mr. 

 Robert Ridgway whose long experience justly enti- 

 tles him to be considered an authority on the subject 

 of which the book treats. The volume is 8vo. in size 

 and contains ten colored plates and seven plates of 

 outline illustrations. The colored plates very clear- 

 ly illustrate the various colors used in descriptive 

 Ornithologj' and the accompanying text, fully ex- 

 plains the combination of colors which produce an- 

 other. 



The book also contains a glossary of technical 

 phrases, which are of use to a novice, but contains 

 some superfluous terms outside of natural history vo- 

 cabulary. The volume supplies a need to American 

 naturalists and should meet with the success it de- 

 serves as a valuable aid in identifying color. 



F. H. C. 



Mr. F. L. Glezen of Providence R. I. shot at 

 Charlestown beach in that state on September 

 ■28th, 1886, a Yellow Rail. {Porzana novebora- 

 (■(^H.s/.s), a rather rare species here in l^ew Eng- 

 land, and was a capture which reflects credit on 

 the collector's observations. 



