202 



THE OOLOGIST 



great racket broke loose close to me. 

 It was started by a couple of Crows 

 and their excited caws were at once 

 answered by a number of others from 

 along the river and in a couple of 

 minutes a dozen crows had gathered 

 at the scene of trouble. A pair of Red 

 shouldered Hawks added their angry 

 cries to the racket and this was fol- 

 lowed by loud excited cackling from 

 Pileated Woodpecker. Something un- 

 usual was surely taking place and 1 

 lost no time but began to carefully 

 "Work my way to the scene of action. 

 On account of so much hemlock I 

 couldn't at first see the cause. The 

 crows were swooping at something in 

 a tree and soon made a dive and I saw 

 the cause of all the trouble. An old 

 Horned Owl. The old fellow was 

 watching me very intently but I didn t 

 want him so didn't shoot. He very 

 soon took wing and disappeared into 

 the depths of the swamp. In a few 

 moments all was quiet again. I don't 

 know whether old bubo made a raid 

 or was just maving about and happen- 

 ed to get into the nesting vicinity of 

 the other birds which at that time all 

 had large young. 



On my way home, at one place Quail 

 were whistling merrily. I sat down 

 and listened awhile as this was the 

 first time in many years that we had 

 had any. Our winters are too severe 

 here. Certain parties here with train- 

 ed dogs killed every one of these 

 quail. Didn't leave one. These same 

 sports will, if possible, kill the last of 

 a covey of grouse and then kick be- 

 cause game is getting scarce. 



R. B. Simpson. 

 Warren, Pa. 



I took a set of common crow this 

 year that contained one as large as a 

 raven's egg. Are similar cases com- 

 mon? 



Paul F. Eckstrom. 



Books Received. 



A COLLECTION OF WINTER 

 BIRDS PROM TRINITY AND SHAS- 

 TA COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA, by 

 Louise Kellogg; reprinted from The 

 Condor, Vol. XIII, pp. 118-121. 



This is an interesting three page 

 account of the birds taken during 

 February of this year in Trinity Coun- 

 ty, California, by the writer and Miss 

 Alexander. Thirty-seven species and 

 sub-species noted. It is an interesting 

 contribution to the knowledge relating 

 to the birds of that territory at that 

 season of the year. 



Volum,e 7, No. 9, pp. 313-18, of the 

 University of California, publications 

 in Zoology. A DESCRIPTION OF A 

 NEW HAIRY WOODPECKER FROM 

 SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA, by H. 

 S. Swarth. 



This purports to describe a new 

 race of Hairy Woodpecker from the 

 above noted territory based upon an 

 examination of eleven specimens, and 

 we presume the newly alleged sub- 

 species rests upon as valid a title as 

 most of those recently described. 



L^. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Biological Survey, Bulletin 37. FOOD 

 OF THE WOODPECKERS OP THE 

 UNITED STATES, by E. F. Beale. 



This is a 64 page resume of the 

 knowledge at this time obtainable up- 

 on the subject of the food of the 

 Woodpeckers, containing a number of 

 wood cuts and half tones, and six 

 high class color plates. It is a valu- 

 able addition to any ornithological li- 

 brary. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Biological Survey, Bulletin 39. WOOD- 

 PECKERS IN THEIR RELATION TO 

 TREES AND WOOD PRODUCTS, by 

 W. L. McAfee. 



This is a splendidly prepared paper 

 upon its subject. Very fully illus- 

 trated with wood cuts and half tones 

 and one color plate. A thorough treat- 

 ment of the subject, and is a credit to 

 the author. 



