ORNITHOLOGIST 



rVol. 6-No. 1. 



G. A. T., Williston, Mass., writes that he 

 has seeB two flocks of Pine Grosbeaks dur- 

 ing the last week in January, and that his 

 friend Kimball saw a Meadow Lark several 

 times in Ellington, Conn., during the last 

 of January. A gentleman driving from 

 Somers Conn., noticed the Lark on the 

 road side. It flew on the fence before him, 

 and continued to fly in advance of the team 

 for three or four miles until it reached El- 

 lington. 



W. H. C, Detroit, Mich., states that he 

 has two female Cow Birds killed near that 

 place, Jan. 24, the thermometer standing 

 at 12° above zero. 



C. W. H., Statesville, N. C, writes that 

 he has discovered a new way to skin birds : 

 he first makes a small cut on the head, be- 

 tween the skin and the flesh, then inserts a 

 blow pipe, tie tightly to prevent escape of 

 air, then blow until all the skin is separated 

 from the flesh, close up the air hole and let 

 the bird remain until cold, then proceed ta 

 remove the skin. He experimented on a 

 Pigeon with perfect success ; he hopes 

 others will try the experiment and report. 



B. J. P., Willimantic, Conn., in referring 

 to Mr. Jencks' notes on the breeding of the 

 Least Bittern in R. I., states that he has 

 taken one and sometimes two of their nests 

 in each season, nntiJ last year when he was 

 compelled by sickness to stay at home. 



Monday, Feb. 7, being a warm day I 

 took my gun and went after Snow Bunt- 

 ings {Plectroplianes nivalis). I soon foiind 

 a flock and fired both barrels into it and 

 got 11. While waiting for the flock to re- 

 turn (as they will and hover over the wound- 

 ed ones,) they returned before I had my 

 cartridges changed. While I was waiting I 

 saw one of the wounded birds fluttering 

 ahmg the snow some 75 yards from me. a 

 Shrike swooped down upon the wounded 

 bird and seized it by the throat. I was 

 astonished at the impudence of the Shrike 

 and fired a charge of dust shot at it, but it 

 took no notice further than to let go and 

 fly up and look around. It went , back to 

 the Snow Bunting and again took it by the 



throat. I fired No. 11 shot at it and spoil- 

 ed his dinner. Upon examinatitm it prov- 

 ed to be( Collyrio ^w(iovia«7ms)Loggerhead 

 Shrike. This is the first instance of find- 

 ing that species hei'e in the dead of win- 

 ter. 



P. S. — I noticed in the Febi-uiry number 

 of the Oologist that Dr. Atkins states that he 

 had shot a specimen of Song Sparrow {Mel- 

 ospiza me'odiit) Jan. 1st. I think the Bird 

 will prove to be Lincoln's Finch {M. lin- 

 colnii) as the Birds are very much alike. 

 — W..H. Collins, Detroit, Mich. 



Recent Publications. 



Beautiful and Curious Birds of the 

 World, by Chas. P. Cory, F.L.S., F.Z.S., 

 etc. — Parts I. and II. of this magnificient 

 work have been issued, and we feel it our 

 duty to dwell somewhat upon it, as it fills 

 an important though by no means espec- 

 ially valuable position among serial ornith- 

 ological publications. 



The first part contains two plates and 

 corresponding text. One of these repre- 

 sents the Dodo, a famous bird of Australia, 

 now extinct ; natural size. The coloring is 

 excellent, although the character of the 

 subject is such as to require little real ar- 

 tistic nicety. All the pictui-e claims is 

 accuracy. The artist has made a back- 

 ground to relieve a figure which would 

 otherwise be monotonous. The other 

 plate is that of a Bird of Paradise, one of 

 the sombrerer species, creeper-like in ap- 

 pearance. The foliage is excellently calcu- 

 lated to exhibit the native haunts of the 

 species. 



Part two contains three j^lates, illustrat- 

 ing respectively, the King Bird of Paradise, 

 the Apteryx, and Great Auk, all good sub- 

 jects, and selected in accordance with the ti- 

 tle of the work. The figures are first printed 

 in pale colors, and afterward carefully color- 

 ed by hand by competent artists. The woi'k 

 is to consist of ten parts, published at inter 

 vals of three months, at ten dollars per 

 part. The author may be addressed at 

 number 8, Arlington Street, Bjston, Mass. 



