I82 



THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



The NiDiOLOGiST. 



AN ILLUS'J-RArED MONTHLY MAGAZINE 



DEVOTED T(J THK STUDY OK 



ORNITHOLOGY, 



With Special Kefcrciice to the 



NiniKiCATiON OK North American Birds. 



H. R. TAV'LOR, Editor and Publisher. 



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In completing in this number the first volume 

 in the history of a journal for advanced Ornitholo- 

 {^ists and Oologists, a few words by the editor may 

 be in order. In reviewing the work of a year we 

 remember gratefully the kindnesses rendered and 

 the many words of appreciation extended. From 

 the start our leading Ornithologists recognized the 

 high .standard which we have maintained, and 

 hailed with pleasure the original illustrations of 

 bird life appearing in every number. Published 

 for the field collector and student in all parts of 

 America, we have had a broad field and have done 

 our best to fill it acceptably. In the matter of 

 illustrations we have nothing to regret and cer- 

 tainly much to be proud of. /'///)' illustrations, of 

 a high order, is our record for one3ear, and Amer- 

 ican Ornithologists have never seen the like before. 

 Notwithstanding the heavy expense of our "half- 

 tones," the sub.scription ])rice has been only one 

 dollar, and such it is our intention to continue it. 

 Additional support will increase our pages, and in 

 no respect will Vol. II fall below the high standard 

 of Vol. I. 



Many renewals fall due at this time. Our rule is 

 necessarily cash in advance. We hope not to lose 

 a single subscriber, but parties not heard from will 

 not receive the paper Having said so much, we 

 will try to let our kind contributors say the rest 

 hereafter. 



A WRITER in the New Hampshire Mirror and 

 Farmer stirs up a terrific tempest in a tea-pot in 

 referring to the following section in the New 

 Hampshire game laws: 



"The provisions of this chapter shall not apply 

 to the collecting of specimens for thecal)inet of an 

 educational institution by the curator thereof, or 

 by or under his direction." 



"The good accomplished ])y this section," says 

 this over-wrought soul, "is l)elow calculation, as 

 ten eggs or birds are destroyed or shot to every one 

 secureil in good condititju and preserved, and of 

 tho.se that reach the so-called ' cabinets ' of 

 pupils or their tutors ninety-nine in every one 

 liundred are worthless in a short time and con- 



signed to the refuge heap, forgotten martyrs of a 

 pernicious taste and contemptible license wickedly 

 tolerated by a statute fit only for the home of bar- 

 barians, and that wants a redeeming feature." 



The above is presented merely for the amu.se- 

 ment of Ornithologists. It is not worth the ink to 

 attempt to convince this gifted ignoramus that 

 collections are not made for "refuse heaps," and 

 that a few remarks of a careful Oologist would be 

 of a hundred times more benefit to the farmer 

 than tons of the sort of rubbish which he has suc- 

 ceeded in getting into print. He is in a bad way 

 — needs a change of air — and the "barbarians" of 

 New Hampshire should suggest it to him. 



The movement of the Cooper Ornithological 

 Club to fix a valuation on the nests of birds of the 

 West is praiseworthy, for it will doubtless lead to 

 their more careful preservation and study. 



When, Oh when, will we learn to value above 

 all else the virtue of unquestionable identity? An 

 egg or nest without a name is a thorn in the side 

 of a conscientious collector. We may not all have 

 the advantages of literature at hand, but what we 

 do know, let us know. Be cautious and sure. 

 Don't call a Sparrow a Swamp Sparrow because 

 you took it in a swamp, or "jump to conclusions" 

 in any other wa}' which may later make you feel 

 humiliated. The text or inspiration for this little 

 sermon comes at the end. We have received a 

 set, with data, of the Red-billed Pigeon, collected 

 in Oregon. The sender informs us that the col- 

 lector shot the bird. W^ell, then, if he shot the 

 owner of the nest, and it were a Red-billed Pigeon, 

 collected /;/ Oregon, one of the shot must have 

 struck it in the bill. 



"WiLLi.\M Henry," who may be a fat man 

 himself, boils over at the bare possibility of Dr. 

 Strode carrying his 187 lbs. up 150 feet after Bubo's 

 egg.s. We presume the veteran collector of Great 

 Horned Owl's eggs will be able to explain why 

 that climb was so high. There is a sycamore near 

 College Park, Cal., which must be considerably 

 over 125 feet high. We don't know how they 

 grow further P^ast, but is it possible that "William 

 Henry" has got his measure and trade mark on 

 everv tree in the .state of Illinois? 



On July 31, the firm of F. H. Lattin & Co. of 

 Albion, N. Y., was di.ssolved by mutual consent, 

 Mr. Lattin taking the Oologist and Mr. Walter F. 

 Webb the immense stock of birds' eggs, birds' 

 skins, etc. "Lattin" has built up a big reputation 

 for fifteen years in the natural history line and in 

 succeeding to the old stand Mr. W^ebb will un- 

 doubtedly do well. An inventory taken July 15, 

 showed a stock of 21,000 eggs. Mr. Webb makes 

 some interesting prices in his "ad" in this number. 



Get a friend to subscribe with you when you 

 .send in your renewal. If everyone would do this 

 (it's possible) great results would be accomplished. 



We have added a department of reviews which 

 will keep our subscribers posted on recent litera- 

 ture and should be of value. 



The continuation of Mr. E. Arnold's interesting 

 account of his trij) to North West Canada has not 

 reached us in time for insertion in this number, 



