THE OOLOGIST 



223 



ting to scream and scold. Now tell 

 us all about it, ye wise ones. 



Kindest wishes to the Oologist and 

 the Editor. 



F. S. SMITH. 



Quail. 



One of our subscribers reports a 

 flock of Partridges (Quail) flying into 

 the town of Petersburg, Va., and 

 alighting in trees where a portion of 

 them were killed by a young lady with 

 a rifle; and adds, ''The laws prohib- 

 iting the sale of partridges have evi- 

 dently increased their lumbers. I am 

 told they are more numerous than for- 

 merly." 



The common quail is increasing all 

 over the West and would increase 

 much more rapidly were it not for 

 the incessant warfare waged against 

 these very beneficial birds by hunters 

 and aliased sportsmen. Every Quail 

 is woT'th $5.00 per annum to the gen- 

 eral public because of its energy in 

 the destruction of insects. They 

 should be taken from the game list en- 

 tirely and protected for good. 



y The Lizard Cuckoo. 



'^ Saurothera merlini dicolor; 1, 21 in. t. 

 12 in. Above brown with a tinge of 

 olive; throat and breast grayish; un- 

 der parts pale chestnut; primaries ru- 

 fous tipped with olive; outer tail 

 feathers tipped with white "with a 

 subterminal bar of black"; bare skin 

 around eye, and iris bright red. 



This Cuckoo, with the exception of 

 the Ani, is the commonest representa- 

 tive of the family Cuculidae which we 

 have here. Although quite common, 

 it has a way of getting about without 

 being so often seen as it is heard. 



Unlike our Cuckoos of the North, 

 it prefers the undergrowth and low 

 trees, to treetops. Its favorite resorts 



are along the rivers, although it is 

 found everywhere that there is suffi- 

 cient undergrowth. When climbing, 

 it runs up the tree spirally around the 

 trunk by means of the small branches. 

 From its quick movements, color, and 

 long tail, one's first impression is 

 that he is in the North, and there is 

 fine fox squirrel. It feeds on the 

 Stripped Lizards and Chameleons. 

 Its notes are much more varied than 

 those of the other Cuckoos; some of 

 them are the familiar ones and oth- 

 ers (the most often heard) are like a 

 bird in distress, such as being slow- 

 ly strangled to death by a snake. 



A. C. READ. 



Isle of Pines Trogon. 



Priotelus timnrus viscus, 1. 9 in., 

 4.6 in. t. 6 in. Crown, black with pur- 

 ple reflections gradually shading to 

 bright green on the back; tail green 

 shading to purple on tip; three outer 

 tail feathers tipped and barred with 

 white; more or less white on primar- 

 ies; under parts grayish; lowei'*< bel- 

 ly, under tail coverts and iris vermil- 

 ion; upper mandible wit' 

 notches; stiff hair-like feathers at 

 base of bill; toes, four; two in front 

 and two behind. 



The Trogon, one of our most bril- 

 liant birds, is a lover of the thick jun- 

 gles and may often be seen sitting on 

 a branch where a ray of sunlight falls 

 upon its iridescent back. I have of- 

 ten seen it feeding flycatcher fashion 

 and return to the same perch after 

 some successful flight after an insect. 

 It seems more plentiful during the 

 rainy season than during the winter, 

 although a tramp through the jungle 

 at almost any time rarely fails to pro- 

 duce at least one or two individuals. 

 From the natives I learn that it nests 

 in hollow branches, trees, etc., but I 

 have been unable to find any nests 

 vet. 



A. C. READ. 



