i84 



THE NIDIOLOGIST. 



ters several obstacles due to the insufficient 

 knowledge, as yet published, of certain 

 species. In this particular field there is yet 

 much to study. 



Oology does not rank, as yet, as an exact 

 science, and no better method for determin- 

 ing the species of eggs has been found 

 equal to that by the birds themselves. In 

 no department of Natural History perhaps 

 are to be found such ardent enthusiasts as 

 Oologists, and we may close this review of 

 Dr. Shufeldt's excellent article with Prof. 

 Huxley's remarks on the most important 

 discovery accredited to Oologists. " Per- 

 haps the greatest scientific triumph of Oolo- 

 gists lies in their having fully appreciated 

 the intimate alliance of the Liniicolcc (the 

 great group of Snipes and Plovers), with 

 the Gavi(P (the Gulls, Terns, and other 

 birds more distantly connected with thenij, 

 before it was recognized by any professed 

 taxonomist, L'Herminier. whose researches 

 have been much overlooked excepted; 

 though to such an one was given the privi- 

 lege of placing that affinity beyond cavil." 



The July number of The Aiik contains a 

 colored plate of the Plumed and Mountain 

 Partridge to illustrate a lucid and timely 

 article by Mr. Ridgway on "Variation of 

 Oreortyx pictus.''' This interesting paper is 

 especially for the edification of British Orni- 

 thologists who have not a clear conception 

 of American subspecies and climatic varia- 

 tion as recognized in the United States. 



Mr. A. W. Anthony publishes some 

 "Notes on the Genus Helcodytes, with a 

 Description of a New Subspecies." The 

 new Cactus Wren is named Helcodytes 

 hrunneicapillus bryanti; it is the heavily 

 spotted form from the northern portion of 

 Lower California, grading into afjinis to- 

 wards the south. 



Mr. Henshaw describes a nest of the 

 California House Finch, which was bal- 

 anced upon a narrow joist 'and kept from 

 pitching forward by a white string en- 

 twined in the nest, carried thence to a nail, 

 around which two turns were made, and 



then back a distance of six inches to the 

 nest, where it was interlaced with the 

 twigs, showing great ingenuity on the part 

 of the builder, or an interesting example of 

 mere chance when the string caught (or had 

 been left hanging) upon the nail, both ends 

 then being carried to the nest and worked 

 in. 



G. H. Ragsdale gives some notes on tem- 

 perature as influencing the nest-building of 

 birds, and asks: "Will some one tells us 

 what is the accepted opinion of Oologists 

 concerning temperature aflfecting nidifica- 

 tion?" This query would make an inter- 

 esting topic for discussion at some meeting 

 of the Cooper Ornithological Club. 



"We Take Exceptions." 



ON page 150 of the Jul}' issue of the 

 NiD. is a decidedly fishy tale about a 

 self-styled collector who credits him- 

 self with securing a set of Owl's eggs from 

 a nest at over one hundred and fifty feet 

 from the ground; and that, loo, in a syca- 

 more. Now, Mr. Editor, I wish to voice 

 the sentiments of all collectors in the Union 

 in protesting against tales of this kind. We 

 want truth, plain and unvarnished, and not 

 ridiculous slipshod stories of adventure 

 drawn with the long bow. The writer of 

 the article knows one of two things — that 

 he is an intentional falsifier or, much more 

 probably, that he has no conception of 

 heights of trees and that he has never prac- 

 tised measuring altitudes when he has 

 taken eggs from nests. Now let me say 

 for all collectors, and especially for those in 

 California, where the trees grow tall, that 

 there is not a sycamore tree in the State of 

 Illin(MS 120 feet tall, and it is sincerely 

 doubted if there is any tree in the State 

 (pines perhaps excepted) which is 140 feet 

 to topmost branch. A sworn statement 

 would not convince me that a man ever took 

 any kind of an Owl's nest at 100 feet up in 

 a sycamore tree. Owls never build at the 

 tips of small limbs in my neighborhood. 

 Let us have truth. I've taken nests from 

 50 to 90 feet up in sycamores — but 150 feet! 

 Goodness gracious! Kvery /loncst observing 

 collector of experience is laughing and alter- 

 nately protesting at such nonsense. 



William Henry, 



