490 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



and the harmony and evident good will that characterised all its actions and 

 deliberations proved the unity of purpose of its founders. While the revision 

 of the classification and nomenclature of North American birds is one of the 

 avowed objects of the organization, it is equally certain that much other 

 good will be accomplished by it. Indeed it is safe to say that the founding 

 of the American Ornithologists' Union marks the beginning of a new era in 

 the progress of Ornithology in this country, and that it will give an impetus 

 to this science such as it has not received since the publication of Prof. 

 Baird's great work in 1859. 



Game killed on the Railway, — In continuation of my remarks 

 hereon (Zool. 1883, p. 259), I may add that I have ascertained from two 

 intelligent engine-drivers that the destruction of game during the year on 

 some lines — e.g. the Glasgow and South- Western — must be very con- 

 siderable. Mr. Graham tells me that on Sept. 30th he and his fireman 

 secured a brace of hares, and that he has procured both hares and rabbits 

 on various occasions. The hare seems to lose his head entirely when on 

 the line, and will course two miles before the engine rather than turn. 

 When, however, the body of the engine is rushing over it, the hare is sure 

 to make a bolt right or left, and is usually run over by a wheel. Hares 

 are killed chiefly in the early morning. Mr. Graham has often knocked 

 down part of a covey of Partridges with his locomotive, and tells me that 

 they lie close to the line until the train is near, when they rise in alarm 

 close to the engine. Mr. Sharpe independently confirms the foregoing, but 

 tells me that the plate-layers pick up most of the game, as under existing 

 regulations the old custom of stopping a goods train to pick up a prize has 

 been almost put a stop to. Mr. Sharpe says that young Partridges suffer 

 most; they are fond of the railway-line, — collecting grains of gravel there, 

 as he believes, — and are much exposed to danger. Quite recently four were 

 knocked down out of a covey, not rnauy miles from Carlisle. Other victims, 

 within Mr. Sharpe's experience, have been Pheasants, and also Tawny Owls, 

 one of which was found alive in the ash-pan of a locomotive. Amongst 

 mammals, the chief victims are house cats and brown rats. I knew myself 

 of a number of water rats being run over near Oxford, when crossing the 

 line from one ditch to another. — H. A. Macpherson (Carlisle). 



An Ornithologist's Sling. — I have invented an elastic sling with a 

 pistol grip, which has several times contested favourably with the bow and 

 arrow. It is about seven inches long by four inches wide, and weighs 

 about five ounces. The skilful use of this weapon (anti-bow) is so easily 

 learned that it surprises me that it is not used in the place of the bow. 

 One of these anti-bows will send a No. 3 buckshot 400 yards (measured on 

 a target range for Winchester rifles), about as far as an arrow has ever been 

 shot from a bow. I have killed three bats in succession at dusk while they 



