240 



THE OOLOGIST 



The birds and their Guardians on the same Islands. 



been operating on the coast of South 

 Africa, by whom large quantities of 

 whale oil have been placed on this 

 market. \ 



Conn. 

 8, 1911. 



The Quail Trap. 



Nor wit •, 

 The Quail Trap, \ ia. 

 The extended visit of ti 5 evening 

 grosbeak to Taftville this winter is 

 the most notable event in the bird an- 

 nals of eastern Connecticut for many 

 years. Its stay is of no economic 

 value, nor does it give more than a 

 shade of light on the mystery of mi- 

 gration. But that so rare and showy 

 bird, unknown here for a generation, 

 so far from its natural habitat, should 

 appear in a large company, make so 

 long a stay in one place, and be so 

 perfectly at home with its new envi- 

 ronment and food, is remarkable. 

 Other birds migrate yearly from north 

 to south, but this erratic bird every 



twenty-five years leaves his home in 

 the northwest wilderness and makes 

 an eastern tour straight across the 

 continent. Doesn't find its way back 

 with the same unerring certainty as 

 he migrants south and north? 



Let us look up a few authorities in 

 my working library. Audubon and the 

 pioneer ornithologist did not see the 

 evening grosbeak. In the copy of 

 Wilson on my desk no mention is 

 made of it. Bonaparte alone knew and 

 described it. Morrison's Birds of Con- 

 necticut has no Connecticut records, 

 though, no .doubt now, the emi- 

 nent author would find a lot of local 

 material. Tn Samuel's Our Northern 

 and Eastern Birds no mention is made. 

 A single foot-note in Stearn and 

 Coues' New England Bird Life says, 

 "it may later struggle into New Eng- 

 land." Maynard's Birds of Eastern 

 North America says, rare to New 

 England in winter. "Nest and eggs 



