THE OOLOGTST. 



145 



tier such circumstances, or she may have 

 done some of the things which we 

 have reached in our speculations. At 

 all events she returned and with a 

 bunch of something which looked like 

 "long horse-hairs." In the next sen- 

 tence we learn that it was hoi'Se-hairs — 

 our observer got a better glimpse of it 

 ■or settled into that conclusion. That 

 the Swallow had settled in its mind 

 what it would do, we know from the 

 statement that she flew "directly and 

 noiselessly" to her nest— two not very 

 unusual or remarkable things to do — 

 but they were so described to give 

 weight to the culminating actions 

 which must prove that birds think. 

 No circling about with twitterings as 

 usual, no uncertainty or hesitation; the 

 plot was all laid. Only it was a pity 

 her husband did not lend a hand as 

 Mr. Swallows usually do. But he was 

 busy in a clover-field near by and 

 "could not possibly get off." Did our 

 observer climb up among the rafters of 

 the barnV He was able for some reason 

 to see very well, at all events. Hovp^ 

 the Swallow threw herself upon the 

 Sparrow's back and "astonished" 

 and shocked it so that she was able ere 

 its recovery to put a horse-hair noose 

 around its neck and to fasten the other 

 end to the nest or to the rafter — excite- 

 ment ran too high for him to tell which 

 — all this is very remarkable. And 

 then to leave "the Sparrow soon chok- 

 ed to death on its unexpected gallows" 

 "for several days," it is too much! 

 To see it hanging so long and not want 

 to find out or try to find out which it 

 was suspended from, the nest or rafter! 



Now my ornithological brethren I do 

 not want to be thought a sarcastic or 

 ironical preacher nor do I wish to be 

 rough with novitiate observers. It is 

 for the very reverse that I am laboring. 

 This department is difficult and with 

 few enthusiasts enough I believe. 



I am only talking thus to give suf- 

 ficient emphasis to what I have to say 



upon the matter of observation. This 

 is my only reason for 'tearing up 'that 

 unpretentious and carelessly written 

 article. Yet such notes are in the right 

 direction, and poor, cai'eless and faulty 

 ones are perhaps better than none and 

 always to be encouraged. Where one 

 is actually interested he will soon do 

 better work if there be any ability in 

 him. And all encouragement to the 

 beginner in the fields of original ob- 

 servation in living nature. Those 

 fields are vast and everything is yet to 

 be done. Let such magnificent monu- 

 ments to this phase of nature-study as 

 Sir John Lubbock's "Ants, Bees and 

 Wasps" and Charles Darwin's "The 

 Formation of the Vegetable Mould 

 Through the Actions of Earth Worms" 

 be our inspiration and ideals. 



{Continued in nett numbe7\) 



Notice- 



The regular semi-annual meeting of 

 the Western New York Naturalists' As- 

 sociation will be held at Chili, Monroe 

 Co., N. Y., Thursday, Oct. 3, 1895. 

 This will include the election of officers 

 for the ensuing year and some very im- 

 portant business. It is earnestly 

 hoped that there will be a good attend- 

 ance of active members. The business 

 meeting will be called at 10 a. m. Pub- 

 lic session from 1 to 5 and 7:30 to 9 p. 

 m. Conveyances will meet morning 

 trains at Coldwater Station on the di- 

 rect line of the N. Y. C. & H. R. R. R. 

 E. H. Short, Chairman of Com. 

 G. F. GuELF, Secretary. 



JUNE-JULY CONTEST. 

 Thirty Judges. 



1. In the Haunts of the White-tailed 

 Kite, 146. 



2. The Prothonotary Warbler in Dry 

 Weather, 83. 



3. Woodpeckers and Their Nests, 76. 



4. Hawk Notes from California, 64. 



5. The Hooded Warbler, 40. 



None of the Judges named the prize 

 winning articles in their exact order. 

 Prizes were mailed on September 10. 



