^8 



THE OOLOGIST. 



the actions of the birds who kept tiying 

 from tree to tree ia a restless manner 

 and snapping their bills, that their nest 

 was, or was to be not far away I deter- 

 mined to return and try to locate it. 



February 28 I again started out ac- 

 companied by another friend. This 

 time we approached from another di- 

 rection and hitting the trunk of the tree 

 several sharp raps I had the satisfac- 

 tion of seeing the female fly from the 

 hole. It would be a hard climb for me 

 but my friend declined the invitation. 

 I saw no other way out of it and start- 

 ed up. I had visions of two white eggs 

 at the bottom of the hole but was highly 

 gratified to tind three and felt amply 

 repaid for all my hard work. Quickly 

 securing my prizes and lowering them 

 to the ground I started down myself. 

 When I had covei'ed about half the dis- 

 tance I slipped and went the I'est of the 

 distance a good deal faster than I as- 

 cended but had the good luck to land 

 on my feet wiih nothing worse than a 

 few scratches. This being the only set 

 of Bubo virginianus I have and having 

 secured it myself I feel quite proud of 

 it. 



There are several more pairs of 

 Bubo around here and I have hopes of 

 getting another set before the end of 

 the season. W. F. Hill, 



Lake City, Minn. 



The Study of Birds. 

 The following circular letter sent out 

 by the Migration Committee of the 

 Michigan Ornithological Club to its 

 members in that state contains the es- 

 sential principles of true bird study to 

 such an extent that we print it in full. 

 Every state in the union should have a 

 similar club: 



Dkar Sir:— The Michigan Ornithol- 

 ogical Club was organized primai'ily 

 for hard work, and work that would- 

 count in the -study of Michigan birds. 

 Pursuant with this design, a committee 

 has been appointed with instructions to 



arrange and carry out a systematic and 

 comprehensive plan for a thorough in- 

 vestigation of the birds of Michigan. 

 This we hope to accomplish through 

 the hearty cooperation of all who may 

 be interested in the ornithology of our 

 state, and who will soon, if not already, 

 be members of our bird club. We hope 

 to have every county in Michigan pa- 

 troled by competent observers, who will 

 report to us on the migration, range of 

 species, breeding habits, etc., of our 

 birds. A careful I'esume of these re- 

 ports must in the course of years, de- 

 velop into a fund of knowledge, which 

 will in reality be a complete survey of 

 the wonderfully varied and interesting 

 avis-fauna of Michigan. 



We request your cooperation in this 

 work. Will you not agree to send us 

 copious notes, gleaned from whatever 

 observation you may be able to make 

 this year? Anything and everything of 

 interest will be appreciated and valued, 

 and due credit will be given all who 

 contribute to this interesting fund of 

 data. 



We wish to determine definitely, 

 when our birds arrive and depart, or 

 pass through each section of the state. 

 How fast they travel, whether by day 

 or night, which come first, males or fe- 

 males, when the first nests are built, 

 and when the last. How long the pro- 

 cess of construction takes, etc., whei'e 

 situated, period of incubation, food of 

 adults and young; in fact everything re- 

 garding all of the birds known to our 

 state. 



If you will help us in this work, kind- 

 ly inform the chairman of this commit- 

 tee, when full instructions and blanks 

 will be furnished with pleasure. Write 

 any member of this committee at any 

 time regarding the work. We will be 

 happy in anything we can do to aid you. 

 Yours in the love of birds, 

 L. W. Watkins, Chairman, 



W. E. MULLIKEN, 



T. L. Hankinson, 

 Committee on bird migration and field 

 work. 



