6 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 9-No. 1 



THE 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



— AND — 



OOLOGIST. 



A MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



ESPECIALLY DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF 



BIEDS, 



THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



DESIGNED AS A MEANS FOR THE INTERCHANGE OF NOTES 

 AND OBSERVATIONS ON BIRD LIFE. 



FRANK B. WEBSTER, Publisher, 



PAWTUCKET, E. I. 



The notices which have appeared in the 

 recent numbers of our magazine, as also 

 the valedictory address of Mr. Wade, 

 would prepare our readers for the change 

 which begins with this number. 



Those of them who possess the issue 

 which heralded the last change, (March 

 '81,) will find there a complete history of 

 the early struggles of the magazine. 

 Since that time, under the careful guid- 

 ance of Mr. Wade, it has clearly advanced 

 in position and usefulness. We can only 

 hope that the present may be another step 

 in the same direction, and be the com- 

 mencement of a still more vigorous and 

 active existence. 



We are convinced that there is a field 

 for a journal such as we hope to make the 

 Ornithologist, and we think that sufficient 

 support may be obtained for it to warrant 

 the enlargement we have now made. In 

 our efforts to obtain that support, we ask 

 the co-operation of all who take an inter- 

 est in Bird-life. 



In so far as the magazine is made a 

 means of bringing together the observa- 

 tions and experiences of the many stu- 

 dents of nature scattered widely Over our 

 broad land — is made a chronicle of their 

 researches, and is able to collect within its 

 pages their notes for the information of 

 all— so far does it fulfil the object of its 



existence. But its usefulness extends still 

 further, for by the fact that its readers 

 have within its pages such a means of 

 spreading abroad what they themselves 

 have learnt, it will encourage systematic 

 observation and careful records. Its ed- 

 itor considers his duty to consist in 

 " shaping the collected information of oth- 

 ers," rather than pretending to supply 

 anything of nis own. For this end, he in- 

 vites the contributions of all those who 

 have in the past, through its pages, added 

 their observations to the ever increasing 

 knowledge of ornithology — assuring them 

 that the pages of the Magazine will always 

 be open to record anything on the subject 

 of Bird-life, which bears the impress of 

 careful observation, and shows an intelli- 

 gent appreciation of the Science. 



In this effort, the editor asks the sup- 

 port, not only of the present subscribers, 

 but of all in America or Europe, who con- 

 sider the systematic observation of nature 

 a thing to be encouraged and helped for- 

 ward. 



Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis.) 



The Sandhill Crane was first noticed by 

 me in this township about the 15th of 

 April, 1842. In this part of the State it 

 is never common, and I have not met with 

 it outside of this neighborhood, since the 

 date above given. I find on looking over 

 our Michigan Bird Catalogues, that this 

 Crane is nowhere common within the lim- 

 its of our State, excepting at Petersburg, 

 Monroe County (Lat. 42 N.,) where it is 

 given by Mr. Jerome Trombley, a reliable 

 and accurate observer, as a common Sum- 

 mer resident. 



A nest was found (the only one I ever 

 saw) on the 8th of June, 1879, by a friend 

 of mine living near Wolf Creek Marsh, 

 about two and a half miles from my resi- 

 dence. I was not able to visit the place 

 with him until the 21st, when we found 

 that the bird had hatched her chicks and 

 left the premises, leaving us only the emp- 



