THE OOLOGIST. 



247 



first experience with this bird was dur- 

 ing the past spring. In company with 

 J. C. Wood I took several sets of this 

 bird. The usual number of eggs found 

 was four, but one set of eight was taken 

 These were very badly incubated. The 

 nests are simply masses of decayed 

 flags and weeds placed upon some flats, 

 and often floating. The eggs are al- 

 ways covered with a mass of decayed 

 weeds except in one instance. The 

 eggs measure aboul 1.65x1.15, but vary 

 a good deal in size. They are bluish 

 white in color, but so coated and stain- 

 ed by the decaying vegation that they 

 look like dirty white. This however 

 will wash off. The Grebes are said to 

 incubate their eggs at night, and let the 

 snn take their place during daytime. 

 One thing is certain, that it is very sel- 

 dom one can catch a Grebe on her nest. 

 They have a peculiar habit of sinking 

 suddenly under water without leaving 

 hardly a ripple to indicate where they 

 have gone. 



B. H. Swales, 

 Detroit, Mich. 



World's Fair Notes. 



The native flora of each State and 

 Territory will be shown at the Exposi- 

 tion, under the direction of Chief 

 Thorpe, who has enlisted the Lady 

 Managers to undertake the collection 

 of specimens. 



All Indian exhibits at the World's 

 Fair will be under the direction of the 

 Government or of Chief Putnam, of the 

 Deparment of Ethnology. The ways 

 and means Comittee has decided that 

 it will consider no applications by pri- 

 vate individuals for an Indian exhibit. 



Some rare old curios in the way of 

 saddles and ancient harness will prob- 

 ably be seen at the World's Fair. The 

 National Association of Saddlers has de- 

 cided to raise $35,000 for an exhibit of 

 their trade at the Fair. This will be ex- 

 pended, largely for ancient saddlery 

 and harness which will be procured 

 through special collectors. 



Aquatic fowls of all climes will prob- 

 ably swim through the lagoons of Jack- 

 sou Park during the period of the Fair. 

 Landscape Architects F. L. Olmsted & 

 Co., recommend the purchase of a great 

 variety of waterfowls. The list includes 

 widgeons, sea gulls, swans, brown peli- 

 cans, storks, sand-hill cranes, American 

 wild geese, blue geese, toulouses, fiam- 

 iugoes, snowy egrets, and scarlet ibis. 

 The purchase of at least ten of each 

 species of the birds as enumerated was 

 recommended. 



Prof. Dyche, of the Kansas University, 

 one of the finest taxidermists in Ameri- 

 ca, is preparing a notable exhibit con- 

 sisting of about 150 of the largest mam- 

 mals in the United States, including 

 buffalo, elk, moose, antelope, deer, 

 mountain sheep and goats, wild cats, 

 wolves, bear, etc., etc - The different 

 species of each are represented and al- 

 most all of the animals have already 

 been secured. 



The party which, under the direction 

 of Chief Putnam of the department of 

 Ethnology, of the Exposition, has been 

 making excavations of the mounds in 

 Ohio for three months or more, met 

 with rare success on November 14th near 

 Chilieothe, in making one of the richest 

 finds of the centuiw in the way of pre- 

 historic remains. While at work on a 

 mound 500 feet long, 200 feet wide and 

 28 feet high, the excavators found near 

 the center of the mound, at a depth of 

 14 feet, the massive skeleton of a man 

 incased in copper armor. The head 

 was covered by an oval-shape copper 

 cap; the jaws had copper moldings: the 

 arms were dressed in copper, while 

 copper plates covered the chest and 

 stomach, and on each side of the head, 

 on protruding sticks, were wooden ant- 

 lers ornamented with copper. The 

 mouth was stuffed with genuine pearls 

 of immense size, but much decayed, 

 Around the neck was a necklace of 

 bears' teeth, set with pearls. At the 

 side of this skeleton was a female skele- 

 ton, the two being supposed to be those 

 of man and wife. It is estimated that 

 the bodies were buried fully 600 years 

 ago. The excavators believe they have 

 at last found the king of the mound 

 builders. 



This Oologist was mailed to each 

 subscriber on Dec. 22d. 



