48 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 4 



I'ork-tailed Flycatcher. I have lately received from 

 a dealer in California curiosities at Santa Monica, Cal., a 

 fine specimen of the Pork-tailed Flycatcher, (Milvuhts ty- 

 rannus,) which was shot near that place in the latter part of 

 the Summer of 18S3. Knowing that this bird is of compar- 

 atively rare occurrence in the United States and especially 

 in the western parts (where I have never seen any record 

 of it heretofore,) I thought you might consider it worthy of 

 a note in the O. and O.—G. L. Toppan, Chicago, III. 



An Oriole's Nest. In 1878 a Baltimore Oriole built its 

 nest in an elm in front of our house. In '79 it returned and 

 fixing it a little raised its young. In 'SO it did the same. 

 In '81 some White-eyed Vireos carried away part of it and 

 the Orioles built another. In '82 they patched up the old 

 one and used it. They did the same in '83, making five 

 years they have used one nest. It is still hanging, and 

 whether they will use it again is a question.— J. W. Thur- 

 ber, Nashua, X. II. 



Great-horned Owls Eggs. On the 1.5th of March three 

 of us went hunting Owls nests. In a very large pine tree 

 we saw a nest resembling the Crows. After clubbing the 

 tree with the climbers, an Owl flew off the nest and as she 

 did so an egg dropped, and a large young one was seen. 

 On going up to the nest, one egg and the bones of an ani- 

 mal were found. The nest was eighty-five feet from the 

 ground. We saw the Owl three times, an d could have easily 

 shot her. The broken egg was mended and the set is com- 

 plete.— S. W. Comstock, Greenfield, Mass. 



Some Phases of Albinism. In looking over my records 

 of ornithological oddities, I find numerous instances of 

 Albino Birds, which although of frequent occurrence, yet 

 are quite interesting. Hoping to hear from other observ- 

 ers, I give mine as a commencement. My first Albino was 

 a Black Spanish chicken, which with an ample pedigree of 

 Mack ancestors, persisted in showing the white feather 

 after the first moult. 



The next, a Chipping Sparrow, adorned with white pri- 

 maries and tail coverts. 



A Snow Bird differed from his fellows in wearing a snow 

 white breast and crown. 



A friend while out hunting shot at a crow flying overhead, 

 and among the even half dozen of quills, the only result of 

 his shot, were three pure white in color. 



By a singular coincidence a Quail and Woodcock, each 

 with white wings and breasts, were found in my gamebag, 

 after a September day's shooting, 



A Eobin prided himself on possessing a white head, the 

 rest of his body being unusually dark, while a Cat Bird 

 sported a white tail in an equally conspicuous manner. Such 

 are a few specimens I have seen. A friend writes me, he 

 has shot a White Grouse with pink eyes, while another 

 tells of a White Teal and Kildeer Plover. 



These are a few illustrations of Albinistic specimens, 

 and I must ask some more learned ornithologist to explain 

 the cause of the appearance of these white patches. I will 

 give another instance. Wishing to procure a specimen of 

 the Chimney Swallow, I fired at one with a small charge of 

 dust shot just as it was about to dive down the chimney. I 

 missed, but tore a mass of feathers from its back. The 

 next season, a swallow was seen with a white patch between 

 the wings. As they return to the same place to breed I sur- 

 mised it to be the one I had half plucked the year before. 

 Therefore Albinism might be produced by hurts received. 

 There must be a cause. Will some one explain it? It 

 surely is not a stage of plumage, confined to the period of 

 old age.— J". H. C. 



Brcnnich's Guillemot, (Lomvia arra Drunnichi.) A 

 fine specimen of this Guillemot was sent to me to mount 



last week ; it was shot on Great Bay on the Atlantic coast 

 about seven miles from Absecom, N. J.— rare in this lati- 

 tude.— W. J. Sherratt, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Our Birds in Their Haunts. Mr. J. H. Langille writes 

 us that his book under this title, so long in preparation, is 

 now coming out. 



Bulletin of the Natural Histort of the State of 

 Massachusetts. A monthly periodical under the above 

 title is, we understand, to be shortly issued under the guid- 

 ance of Mr. W. A. Stearns. 



We understand the Linnsean Society of New York expect 

 to issue a second volume of their Transactions in May next. 

 We can only hope it will be as excellent as the one already 

 issued. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Correspondents making inquiries are requested to be brief 

 and to the point. 



We hope for the future to m.ail our monthly edition on 

 the first of every month. Communications should be sent in 

 as early as possible. Nothing received after the 20th, can be 

 noticed in the number for the following month. 



Several complaints have reached us of the non-receipt of 

 the February number. The utmost care has been taken to 

 mail each number to every subscriber on our list, and any 

 who write us that they have not received their copies will 

 be at once supplied with a duplicate. We find it of general 

 advantage that all subscriptions should begin with the vol- 

 ume, and therefore we invariably send the numbers from 

 January to all subscribers. The specimen January number 

 was a special issue, and subscribers require the regular 

 January number to complete their series. 



Notes from Hartland, Vt. (O. and O., IX., p. 35.) 

 We regret that through an oversight the name of this place 

 was printed Conn. Several correspondents point out to us 

 the improbability of the Great Northern Shrike, (Lanius 

 borealis,) nesting at Hartland. We should be glad to hear 

 further from Mr. F. M. Goodwin, and to know whether the 

 birds or eggs are in existence. The fact was unusual and 

 as such worthy of note, but we see no reason, so far, to 

 deny the accuracy of our correspondent. 



Note from Gravenhurst, Ont. (O. and 0., IX., p. 36.) 

 Pigmy Owl should read Saw-whet Owl. 



A correspondent (Ira W. Shaw,) asks if the Eider Duck 

 or the Buffed Grouse have been known to breed in confine- 

 ment. 



S. Albert Shaw. There is nothing uncommon in what 

 yon relate. 



J. Anthont, Jr. Would insert your note as its accuracy 

 is vouched for, but it has unfortunately been mislaid. 



Edward C. Everman. We hope you will succeed in 

 getting the eggs of the Red-tailed Hawk whose nest you 

 are watching. 



Several interesting articles are unavoidably postponed 



Receipt for Tanning. For one calf skin, sheep skin 

 or dog skin : J£ pound sulphate of soda, 3 ounces sulphate 

 of potash, 2 ounces sulphur, if pound alum, 3 ounces salt, 

 mixed in 1 quart of water. Spread it on the flesh 6ide of 

 the skin and fold in middle— flesh side to flesh side. Let it 

 remain for three or four days, then hang up to dry; it will 

 be found perfectly tanned, soft and pliable. For a small 

 hide or robe, double the quantity. 



