THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



The Nidiologist. 



AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY MAGAZINE 

 DEVOTED TO 



THE SXrDY OK 



ORNITHOUOGY, 



With Special Reference to the 

 NidificQtion of J^onth flmeriean Birds. 



EDITEn HY 



HARRY R. TAYLOR. 



Issued at Alameda, California. 

 Subscription (in advance) .... One Dollar. 

 Sinf^le Copies, except "samples" . . /s Cents. 



Original contributions, with or without illustrations, are 

 earnestly desired. 



ADVERTISING RATES. 

 ( Terms Cash 7vith Order. ) 



I page (outside, 17 inches) Each Insertion, $10 00 



I page (inside) " " S 00 



% page (SJ4 inches) " •• 4 00 



Per inch ' •' i 00 



Special inducements on contracts for over two months. 



Entered at the Alameda Post-office as second class matter. 



Free satnple copies have been furnished of this 

 one ntitnber, on demand, the object being to give 

 all who have not seen and admired the Nidiolo- 

 (iiST an opportunit}-; as we know they cannot 

 thereafter resist .sending in their dollar for the mag- 

 azine for a year. Subscriptions may commence 

 any tim?, except that our supply of the October 

 number is now exhausted. Other numbers may go 

 the same waj-, and then some parties who would 

 desire the elegant and complete file entire will be 

 sorry. However, the future issues will if anything 

 eclipse the ones which have gone before — which 

 is saying much. 



The Nidiologist is making war on the genus 

 fraud, species egg collector, and habitat at large. 

 Where we have positive proof, we shall reform this 

 foolish and pernicious class, or expose them by 

 publication in this magazine. The remarks of Mr. 

 A. \V. Anthony in our last issue express our senti- 

 ments, and we shall act in accordance with thetn. 



Here is a letter which we had to send to a sub- 

 scriber to the NiD. to day : 



" Devr Sir: I have now, as editor of the Nid- 

 iologist, the unpleasant duty of addressing you 

 on a matter which I trust you may satisfactorily 

 settle or explain. We have received a sworn state- 

 ment from that you have acted unfairly with 



him in an exchange; to wit : [Here follows the 

 statement.] That when threatened by him with 

 exposure as a fraud you did not reply. Now if the 



above is the case, I advise you to make it right 



with Mr. at once, and to write me of the 



fact; or if you have proof that you have acted 

 fairly, send me that proof. 



"I have no personal interest in the matter what- 

 ever, but propose to see justice done in every case 

 of unfair dealing of which we have proof, or ex- 

 pose the frauds in the NiDiOLOGiST. Trusting 

 you will take action in this matter without delay, 

 I am, yours truly, 



H. R. Taylor. 



" N. B. — You will understand that any corre- 

 spondence which maj' save publication is strictly 

 confidential." 



QUEER ACTION OF A JAY. 



In January of this 3'ear I was one day 

 standing at my window when a California 

 Jay alighted on the ground beneath, with 

 something which, at the distance of a sec- 

 ond-story window, looked like a small chip 

 of light-colored wood. He dropped it on 

 the ground, which was partly covered by 

 the leaves from the fruit trees, and covered 

 it up very carefully with leaves. His action 

 surprised me, as it was the first time I had 

 ever seen that thing done. After having 

 buried the thing he hopped about a little, 

 flew into a tree close by, and at last left the 

 vicinity without a note of farewell. 



I immediately went down stairs and out 

 doors to find the thing he had so dispo.sed 

 of, but, although I had noted the exact spot 

 as well as po.ssible from my window, I was 

 obliged to turn over the leaves^for three or 

 four minutes before I could find it. It 

 turned out to be a sprouted almond, about 

 one-third eaten — evidently by the bird, it 

 was so fresh — and was sufficiently well cov- 

 ered with damp leaves to have kept on 

 growing, I think. 



Now was it simply a wayward impulse, 

 or was it a deeper prompting of nature, or 

 anger at not finding the nut to his liking, 

 which cau.sed the bird to burj- the nut ? 

 C. P. Nettleton. 



Hayzvard, Cal. 



We have received your beautiful magazine, and 

 hasten to thank you for and compliment you on 

 the same. — Gameland, 



