THE OOLOGIST 



35 



graphical range of course being con- 

 sidered. 



I have shot probably fifteen of these 

 sparrows that were nesting, and have 

 taken many sets of their eggs, and 

 have submitted specimens for identifi- 

 cation to the most learned ornitholo- 

 gists in this country. Their opinions 

 vary as to what the birds really are. 

 Some favor the sub-species theory, 

 others holding that this is the true 

 form; which of course leaves the 

 whole matter still in the realms of 

 the unidentified. 



A particular specimen that I sent 

 to the Biological Survey was identi- 

 fied by Dr. Richmond of the Divisions 

 of Birds as the straight Seaside Spar- 

 row. Several years passed before I 

 again submitted this bird to the Bureau 

 for another inspection, and this time 

 it was identified as Macgillivray's 

 Sparrow. The identification being by 

 Mr. Oberholser. Immediately I sent 

 the bird to Mr. Arthur T. Wayne, and 

 requested him to send it to Mr. Wil- 

 liam Brewster. 



Wayne wrote me a few days after, 

 a letter to the effect that they were 

 without doubt a sample of the true 

 species. In due time Mr. Brewster's 

 letter reached me in which he wrote 

 that they agree with the breeding 

 "birds from St. Mary's, Ga. — "that as 

 the Macgillvray's are known to breed 

 at St. Marys, they must in conse- 

 quence be referred to the sub-species." 

 He also states that they show more 

 gray than a series of birds from Mas- 

 sachusetts and Connecticut. It is 

 very plain somebody is wrong. The 

 truth will probably never be known; 

 but one way will satisfy all concerned 

 and that is to cut out all sub-species 

 and restore them to their proper place, 

 and then let the "spy glass" ornitholo- 

 gist rest content until the coming of 

 another sun. 



Sub-species have been, and always 



will be, a curse to American Ornitholo- 

 gists. It is a blot on the nomencla- 

 ture of North American birds. I have 

 tried to write this article with the 

 utmost restraint and where it is not 

 free from bias, it is not my desire to 

 offend any one. 



But one more suggestion, if any of 

 you should happen this way, stop over, 

 and then I can tell you more about 

 sub-species, but until then let harmony 

 prevail. 



G. R. Rossignol, Jr. 

 Savannah, Ga. 



Chickadee Notes from McKeesport, 

 Pennsylvania. 

 Last year, we are well aware, was 

 one of the greatest for chickadees. 

 Thousands of them invaded the hill- 

 side near our home and made them- 

 selves conspicuous in many ways. A 

 well known ornithologist from West 

 Chester, Pa., referring to bird life 

 during the fall of 1913, wrote me, 

 "Chickadees were here last fall by 

 the millions." Then to, Bird Lore's 

 Christmas bird census showed a 

 southern invasion of the acadian 

 chickadee — a very unusual feature. 

 This year we note a general scarcity 

 of black-capped titmice and have yet to 

 find a single chickadee on our near- 

 by hillside. 



Thos. L. McConnell. 



Cowbirds' Eggs. 



Since the year 1903 I have been 

 keeping a daily diary of bird-life ob- 

 servations in New Jersey, New York, 

 Connecticut and Pennsylvania accord- 

 ing to the periods of time spent in 

 each state above mentioned, New Jer- 

 sey being the basis of all observations 

 and therefore the most prolific in 

 nests in which Cowbirds' eggs have 

 been located. 



During the period since 1903 to the 

 present season 1914, twelve breeding 



