i4o 



THE NIDlOLOGIST. 



destroyed for the sake of the paper. There 

 are many other similar cases. Still there 

 can he no doubt that there are many birds 

 killed which are never skinned and many 

 skins which are never used. 



Bird Studknt. 

 Palo Alto, Cal. 



a 



D 



Do Wading Birds Swim ? 



O wading- birds swim?" In the 



January Xi(/i(>/ogist Mr. I). A. 



Cohen treats of this subject, and 



asks for information from other 



ornithologists. In response to his query, 



I give the following, the onh' instances that 



have come under my personal observation. 



July 15, 1893. — I shot a Spotted Sand- 

 piper (Actitis niaciilana) along a small 

 rocky stream, a tew inches in depth. It 

 was only wing- tipped, and immediatel}' 

 ran along the edge of the water. In trying 

 to escape from me, on coming to a place 

 where the water was a little deeper, it 

 dived under and began to swim up the 

 stream, beneath the water, using both feet 

 and wings. I drove it for some distance in 

 front of me. Ivach time on coming to the 

 surface and catching .sight of me it would 

 dive again. 



I have frequently seen the Clapper Rail 

 {Ralliis crepitans) floating about on patches 

 of drift during a very high tide, and upon 

 taking the boat near they would very readily 

 take to the water and swim off. The Caro- 

 lina Rail or vSora {Porsaiia novoboj'acensis), 

 when wounded, will often take to water and 

 swim across the ga])s in the marshes. I 

 have also experimented like Mr. Cohen, 

 using a hen and a duck pond, and found the 

 hen to be quite expert in swimming. 



\Vm. H. Fishkk. 



Baltimore, Md. 



Snow=-eaters. 



IN the April number of the Nidiologist 

 a note entited "vSnow-eaters" spoke of 

 Pine vSiskins having been seen eating 

 snow, and asked if others had ever seen 

 birds so doing. I have occasionally .seen 

 Cedar Birds {Ampelis cedronnn) eat snow, 

 seemingly instead of water; as stated in the 

 above-mentioned note, taking it in grains 

 and from the crust, and not eating the loose 

 dry snow, the grains in this case being 

 about the size of a kernel of western corn. 

 If I might be allowed, I would also like 



to do a little much-needed preaching, and 

 would take for my text: "Collect more 

 notes, less specimens." The main object of 

 many so-called ornithologists seems to be 

 to amass a large amount ot skins and eggs 

 for no especial purpose except that they 

 look well in the cabinet and it is fun f?) to 

 do so. Now, I am sure that Wilson, 

 Audubon, Agassi/, or anj- true naturalist 

 would disapprove highly of aii}^ such 

 doings, and I have no respect for any man 

 who will destroy God's creatures for any 

 pecuniary gain or for an insatiable desire to 

 collect. A true ornithologist uses his note- 

 book and glass one hundred times to every 

 set of eggs he may take or bird he may 

 shoot, and we must either weed our ranks 

 or eventually our beloved study will fall to 

 the ground. I am sure that all true 

 students of birds, their nests and eggs, in- 

 cluding our honored editor, will fully agree 

 with me. 



Ornithologically 3'ours, 



Gi.ovKR M. Allkn. 

 Newton, Mass. 



The Little Auk in Vermont. 



THIS bird, which is otherwi.se known 

 as Sea Dove and Dovekie, and to the 

 naturalist as Alle nigi'icaiis, is a com- 

 mon winter resident of Labrador, 

 migrating to the far north in early spring, 

 and breeding in Greenland. Its nest is built 

 upon the ground, generally in the side of a 

 hill, and is cunningly concealed by a stone. 

 It is always gregarious, and during the mi- 

 grating .season it congregates in immense 

 flocks. It returns to Labrador tarly in 

 September. In general appearance it some- 

 what re.semi)les the Great Auk, but is about 

 the size of the Snipe. Its legs, wings and 

 bill are black. 



In 1S74, after a very severe storm, which 

 came from the north-east, large numbers of 

 these birds were seen in New Hampshire 

 and in several localties in the eastern part 

 of this State, and it was supposed that they 

 had been driven from their course by the 

 storm. Soon after their arrival the flocks 

 dispersed, but solitary birds were .seen oc- 

 casionally for about eight years, since which 

 time I have not heard of it. I would like 

 to know, through the columns of the NiDi- 

 OLOOIST, more of the habits of this bird 

 while in this State, and especially if it 

 nested here. C. O. Okmsbkk, 



Montpelier, Vt. 



