THE OOLOGIST. 



139 



his intended victim; for, lowering his 

 head and inverting his outspread tail 

 upon his back, he meets his enemy with 

 this inclined plane, over which he glides 

 harmlessly, ami the Turkey drops to 

 the ground arid insures his safety by 

 runuing away." 



As a rule the male Turkey weighs 

 about eighteen pounds, but often this 

 weight is greatly exceeded In Decem- 

 ber, 1892, one weighing thirty-two 

 pounds, killed in Garrett county, was 

 exhibited in this city. 



Eclopistes migratorius, Passeuger Pig- 

 eon. The Wild Pigeon was a common 

 migrant with us until about fifteen or 

 twenty years ago; being generally seen 

 in large flocks daring September and 

 October. 



A favorite place to stand and shoot 

 them was or Bare Hills, as in their 

 flight they would pass over there nearly 

 every morning between six and eight 

 o'clock. This last fall (1893) they have 

 been more abundant than for many 

 years. I having received notice of 

 three large flocks being seen; the larg- 

 est containing about sixty birds, the 

 smallest about twenty. Single birds 

 frequently fly with flocks of Doves. 



They are very fond of pin oak acorns 

 and in feeding on the ground they keep 

 up a contiuual forward movement, the 

 rear birds flying ahead of the others. 

 Years ago in Howard countjr large num- 

 bers were killed at night while roosting' 

 and their bodies fed to the hogs. Thus 

 disappeared one of the noblest birds of 

 North America. 



Zenaidura macroura, Mourning Dove. 

 Common; resident in some parts of the 

 state. Iu the fall of the year when they 

 flock in the stubble and thistle fields, 

 they afford a great deal of sport to the 

 gunner. They fly very swiftly, but as 

 their flight is regular they make an easy 

 target. 



I have frequently had my doer to 

 "point" them the same as a Partridge. 



Dolichonyx oryzivorus, Bobolink. The 



Reedbird as it is called with us, is an 

 abundant spring and fall migrant. 



When they make their appearance in 

 the fall, generally about the middle of 

 August, they are found in the pasture 

 fields feeding on the seed of the foxtail, 

 and other grasses. About the second 

 week of September they are abundant 

 in the fresh water marshes of our rivers 

 and are then very fat. Large numbers 

 are killed as they fly across the "guts" 

 from one marsh to another. 



Our best marshes in which to hunt 

 them are in the neighborhood of Marl- 

 boro and Nottingham, where many are 

 killed, as well as Sora. When iu good 

 condition they sell readily for from 

 seventy-five cents to one dollar per 

 dozen. 



Oolurnix vulgaris, Messiua Quail. 

 In the fall of 1880, several hundred of 

 these exotics were imported from Italy, 

 and liberated in various parts of Balti- 

 more county. Two hundred were 

 turned loose eight miles from this city, 

 and soon after hunted with dogs, and 

 although the dogs showed signs of being 

 on game, the birds could not be Hushed. 



In 1881 a nest was found containing 

 about a dozen eggs, all of which 

 hatched but four. 



Wm. H. Fisher, 

 Baltimore, Md, 



Hints About Data and Field Books- 



Had I a thousand tongues, I would 

 use them all, until tired, in clamoring 

 for uniformity of data. 



If one keeps his data as some do their 

 eggs— a few iu a bureau drawer, half a 

 dozen tilted into the egg-trays, and a 

 few odd lots pigeon-holed in all sorts of 

 out-of-the-way places, it will matter lit- 

 tle to him what may be the size, tex- 

 ture, make-up and neatness of the data 

 that accompany the sets in his collec- 

 tion. But if like myself he desires to 

 keep several hundred data neatly filed, 

 in a single letter case and so alpbabeti- 



