186 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Yol. 12-Ko. 11 



closer together near the greater ends ; .63 x .48 ; 

 .G3X.48; .64 x .47. 



Set V. Ogden City, Utah, June H, 1885. 

 Three eggs, fresh. Grayish, speckled and 

 blotched with umber brown. One of the eggs 

 much more faintly marked than the other two ; 

 .69X.48; .69x.49; .70x.49. 



Set VI. Ogden City, Utah, June 10, 1885. 

 Three eggs, fresh. Greenish white, speckled 

 and blotched with umber brown; .66x.49; 

 .67X.50; .67X.50. 



Set VII. Ogden City, Utah, June 10, 1885. 

 Three eggs, fresh. Faint greenish white, 

 marked with light brownish. In two of the 

 eggs the markings form a wreath iiear the 

 greater ends ; .67 x .48 ; .64 x .51 ; .63 x .51. 



Set VIII. Ogden City, Utah, June 8, 1885. 

 Four eggs, fiesh. Grayish white, heavily 

 marked with blotches of umber brown, close 

 together near the greater ends ; .()9x.48 ; .67x.48 ; 

 .67 X .48; .67 x .48. 



Set IX. Ogden City, Utah, June 8, 1885. 

 Five eggs, fresh. Light greenish white, heavily 

 marked with umber brown spots, forming in- 

 distinct wreaths near the greater ends ; .63x.47: 

 .63X.48; .64 x .48 ; .63x.49; .62x.48. 



Brief Notes. 



This issue contains but sixteen pages, a cir- 

 cumstance which no one regrets more than the 

 editors. When the Bristol Ornithological Club 

 at the expense of its members increased its size 

 ill July, it was understood that the extra four 

 pages were the gratutious otiering of the Club, 

 and as can be seen by back reference no definite 

 promise was given. To be very plain with our 

 readers we will say that we have not on hand 

 sulKcient articles of merit to fill the twenty 

 pages, and the editorial stall" are not machines 

 to grind out a modicum of copy for the printer 

 and it is this which makes scientific articles 

 dilfer from general matter. It is not our 

 fault that we have not a score of pages; ear- 

 nest solicitation has been tendered with but 

 medium success and as we cannot devote but a 

 small portion of our time to this journal, and 

 even that at a business loss, we do not feel 

 warranted to any further undertakings with 

 this lack of interest. 



A scientific magazine is not a news journal, 

 but simply a means of communication from all 

 to all, in which any maj^ take an active part, 

 and our work is to arrange this information in 

 the shape in which you receive it from month 

 to month. We can, however, promise tliat 



when a supply of original manuscript will war- 

 rant we will present our readers with the 

 twenty page form. 



We recently had the pleasui'e of a call from 

 Mr. Montague Chamberlain of St. Johns, N. B. 

 and understand that Mr. Chamberlain is about 

 to issue a volume containing a list of the Birds 

 of Canada. 



One of the latest tricks practised upon the 

 farmers in Maine by smooth talking rogues, is 

 to obtain their signature to a promise not to 

 kill birds for a year, which in due lapse of time 

 comes from their county bank as a promissory 

 note for various sums. As a moral, none 

 should sign aught but Audubon Society blanks. 



It is with much surprise and regret that from 

 a brief statement in the October number of 

 The Auki we learn that its present editor is to 

 sever his connection with that magazine, "ow- 

 ing to ill health and pressure of other engage^ 

 'ments." We sincerely trust that The Auk may 

 not lose by any exchange, as Mr. Allen has 

 conducted that journal with credit to both him- 

 self and the science it represents. 



The American Ornithologists' Union held 

 their fifth annual session at the I>ecture Rooms 

 of the Boston Society of Natural History, Octo- 

 ber 11, 12 and 13th. "About thirty-five mem- 

 bers were present."' 



Probably no ornithologist gives more time to 

 the subject of shore bird migration than Mr. 

 John C. Cahoon of Taunton, Mass., as his fre- 

 quent articles in the Ounithologist and ool- 

 ocasT and Forest and Stream will testify. Mr. 

 Cahoon has long made Monomoy Island his 

 point of observation, for by reason of its situa- 

 tion at the "elbow" of Cape Cod, it receives 

 the full tide of migration movements. In con- 

 junction with Mr. F. H. Carpenter, Mr. Ca- 

 hoon has erected a connnodious house upon 

 the island for the use of the Bristol Ornitholo- 

 gical Club, thus allowing a protracted stay into 

 the winter months at which period of time 

 many stragglers reach our coast, and also a 

 time which the bleak section receives little at- 

 tention from either bird hunters or bird lovers. 



In the i-eport of the Ornithologist to the Com- 

 missioner of Agriculture as contained in the 

 Report of the Department of Agiiculture for 

 1886, the English Sparrow receives his just 

 verdict. By statistics gathered from various 

 sources he is found to be useless to agriculture. 

 But we could withstand the Sparrow were he 

 simply neutral, but his deeds of violence to 

 more worthy species, his unclean habits and 



