THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



i8i 



Incubation nearly complete, average size 

 72 X 5Q. The nest, which is composed of 

 coarse dried sedges and grasses with 

 nothing but finer ones for a lining, and 

 rather loosely though neatly constructed, 

 was situated in a tuft of grass and "hard- 

 back" about four inches above the wet, 

 mucky soil. It is scarcely distinguishable, 

 in appearance and make-up, from the aver- 

 age nest of the Maryland Yellow-throat 

 built in like situations 



I take pleasure in announcing through 

 the columns of The Nidiologist the first 

 nest of Henslow's Sparrow in Michigan of 

 which we have any record. 



Iv. Whitney Watkins. 



Manchester, Mich. 



Cooper Ornithological Club. 



THK regular monthly meeting was held 

 August 4th. Papers on the Vireos 

 were read from members throughout 

 the state. This report will appear in next 

 number. It was decided that the Chair ap- 

 point at each meeting a member to prepare 

 a paper of short notes on matters or obser- 

 vations of interest for the following meet- 

 ing. Such notes from any source will be 

 appreciated, 



Messrs. D. A. Cohen, R. S. Wheeler and 

 Harold C. Ward of Alameda were elected 

 to membership. The semi-annual election 

 of officers was held, resulting as follows: 

 President, C. Chamberlin; Vice-President, 

 R. H. Peck; Secretary, C. Barlow; and 

 Treasurer, U. S. Clark. 



Each member to whom was assigned a 

 Wren for study is requested to send in his 

 observations before Sept. ist. 



C. Barlow, Secretary. 



Notes and Comment. 



W. S. Cobleigli of Canton, 111., writes: "Don't 

 let Raine discontinue his articles. Can'tyou scare 

 up some Illinois or Mississippi Valley correspond- 

 ents? Keep Strode moving. I'll try to hustle up 

 Loucks and Murchisou." 



Here is a line of observation which should be 

 pursued by those who wish to learn more of the 



habits, etc., of our birds. Mr. J. H. Bowles of 

 Ponkapog, Mass., by way of experiment, left a set 

 of six eggs of the Short-billed Marsh Wren to 

 hatch. The time of incubation was twelve days. 



On August 5 a single specimen of the rare Califor- 

 nia Cuckoo was seen near San Jose, Cal., flying 

 about in the willow bushes along a creek. H. R. 

 Painton took a set of eggs of this species three 

 years ago, and Mr. Oscar Silliman of Watsonville 

 has had the good fortune to discover a few sets. 



Some articles to appear in September NiD. are: 

 Nesting of the Rock Wren on the Farallons, (illus) ; 

 Review of Dr. Shufeldt's work, "Scientific Taxi- 

 dermy" (illus.); The Western Gull (illus. of young 

 Gulls in nest); Hints for campers and cruisers, 

 (illus). 



A fellow down in Texas is going to receive a 

 year's subscription to the Nidioi,ogist for some 

 earlier numbers, which he probably received as 

 "samples." Here is a parable of the sample copy 

 fiend, wherein it is shown how much more blessed 

 it is to receive than to give. He hung on to his 

 dollar and likewise his samples, and now by for- 

 warding the latter he saves the former. 



I have seen so many endorsements of your jour- 

 nal, The Nidiologist, that I think it must be 

 indispensable to a collector. Enclosed I hand you 

 $1.00 for one year's subscription 



Fred B. SpauivDing. 



The Nidiologist, a monthly paper published 

 in Alameda, California, edited by H. R. Taylor, 

 is before us. It is a bright, newsy, beautifully il- 

 lustrated paper, devoted, as 'its name implies, to 

 all that interests the nidiologist. — Puget Souttd 

 Sportsvian. 



Mr. Leverett M. Loomis of South Carolina, who 

 has recently been made curator of birds at the 

 California Academy of Sciences, has been spend- 

 ing several weeks at Pacific Grove where he is 

 making a collection of water birds for the Acad- 

 emy. Mr. Loomis is soon to publish in the pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy, a description of a new 

 Thrush from the coast of California. It will be 

 called T Urdus ustulatus stanfordi . 



The Editor Laughs Last. 



You didn't subscribe when you got your last 

 "sample copy"? 



No. 



You thought you'd wait for another one. Well , 

 here it is. Struck it right that time, didn't you! 



Perhaps you think this is a mighty fine number, 

 but you'll wait ior just one more before you send 

 your dollar for a year's subscription. But you 

 won't get it — that other "sample." 



No, not much, for we've got you on the list! 

 We'll have the laugh on you this time. That is, 

 if that 'dollar testimonial" don't show up shortly 

 at the office of the Nid. 



On a recent trip- through a part of Monterey 

 county, Cal., Mr. R. H. Beck shot a Black Swift 

 (Cypseloides niger), which contained an egg about 

 to be laid. 



A set of slightly incubated eegs of the Little 

 Flycatcher was taken August 8 near San Jose, Cal. 

 This ought to come pretty near winding up the 

 season. 



