132 THE OOLOGIST 
and ready for the onslaught of the li- 
censed mob. I have on the dryblock a 
fine female great horned owl shot by 
Mr. George Snow after it was betray- 
ed by noisy pestering crows. One of 
the local males among our stuffed 
owls was shot on a barn by Mr. Wil- 
liam Gordon. I choloformed the last 
cannibal bubo in the owlery. I often 
feel like feeding chloroform to our 
macow for its unearthly shrieks, but 
for the fact that it imitates exactly 
the hoots of all owls, and the calls 
of bobwhite, whippoorwill, poultry, 
dogs and the human voice. For eight 
years there has been no record of 
eagles at the Quail Trap. Ospreys 
pass over sometimes, and one was 
shot by a farmer on Redhead Hill. 
Who can tell whether it is a blight 
or the drought that has early in Sep- 
tember killed the leaves on all the 
white birches in the four parishes. 
Maybe it is a new insect plague, for 
Mr, Murdock, who was cutting birches 
today on Harold Hibbard’s farm, says 
that his clothes were covered with 
strange looking bugs. Who ever saw 
the woodbine as bright as it is now 
without the action of frost? Sumac. 
maple and beech are foils, but the 
sandfire of the salt marshes alone can 
rival its glistening cardinal. From the 
army of warblers beginning to go 
south a few daily stop on the ash 
wind-break at the west-windows of 
the Quail Trap, where I sit with pen- 
cil and notebook, recording this early 
movement. Jf the Hast Woodstock 
bird man is similarly occupied, we can 
compare notes at the end of October. 
Bird matters at the west parish con- 
tinue to be well looked after by the 
veteran ornithologist, the Rev. Mr. 
Jones, and there are a score of trained 
observers between Woodstock and 
Norwich, But how many of these peo- 
ple could have the patience of the 
Preston City lady who writes so fas- 
ecinatingly for The Bulletin of the 
feathered wards she charms on her 
window sill. (Oa bal ae 
Bird Notes. 
Publishing as much bird material as 
we do, we are continually in need of 
copy. Our readers have little idea of 
the large amount of copy that one is- 
sue of THE OOLOGIST eats up. The 
result is, we are nearly always shy. 
While we have many splendid bird 
articles on hand, yet it has been our 
endeavor for sometime to keep gather- 
ing these together that we might col- 
lect them and publish them in such a 
way as we could devote separate is- 
sues of THE OOLOGIST largely, if 
not exclusively to different bird fami- 
lies; as for instance, one issue to the 
Raptores, another issue to the Wad- 
ers; another issue to the Wild Fowl, 
still another to the Warblers, and so 
on. 
In order to do this, we of course, 
must have a large stock of material 
anl would appreciate any contributions 
that our subscribers might see fit to 
make along these lines. It is not neces- 
sary that the contributions should be 
either lengthy or specially scientific. 
Short, newsy notes are always accept: 
able with us. 
2 <a 
Florida Jays. 
In Hillsbrook 
get quite a number of the Florida Jays 
(Aphelocoma cyanen), but during the 
last few weeks they have disappeared. 
They are the tamest birds here. A 
neighbor is in the habit of feeding 
them, and she gets as many as sixteen 
In the spring 
County, Florida, we 
on the veranda at once. 
they are in the habit of pecking at win- 
dows. A. G. REYNOLDS. 
