The nidiologisT 



SI 



pie, where the top of the nest was nearly 

 five inches across. As will be seen in the 

 illustration, two "Cow-Bunt's" eggs are in 

 the top nest with the eggs of the rightful 

 owner, while the layers below have been 

 separated to show the lower tiers of eggs. 

 Kalamazoo, Mich. 



[The other admirable illustration, drawn from a 

 photograph kindly loaned by Otto Emerson, 

 shows a young Cowbird in a nest of a Yellow 

 Warbler. The bastard youngster has evidently 

 crowded out the young Warbler and has grown so 

 that he is fairly overflowing the nest, while squaik- 

 ing loudly for more room! — Ed.] 



Some More About Dick. 



1T00K OCCAbiOlN last summer to 

 write something about Dick, my tame 

 Black-headed Grosbeak, and those to 

 whom I introduced Dick at that time 

 may be interested to know that he is still 

 alive and having adventures. 



I said Dick and his brother, when my 

 friend Jurgens owned him, were frequently 

 regaled with something respectable birds, of 

 accredited standing among the Canons of 

 the A. O. U., should scrupulously avoid — 

 beer. Sad but true. Since coming into the 

 superior influences of his present environ- 

 ment, however, Dick has had no more beer 

 or other intoxicant, nor has he shown suffer- 

 ing from the lack of it. 



Deduction No. i: birds may be cured of 

 the drink habit without the chloride of gold 

 treatment! 



At this date (December i8), my pet is 

 gay in a new suit, having passed through 

 the moulting period, when he was a forlorn- 

 looking vagabond in November. 



I have been ea.sy with Dick, treating him 

 as a brother, and giving him the run of the 

 house, but I grieve to say thai today he 

 gave me the cold shoulder, and, as it is 

 raining heavily, the wet shoulder also. He 

 flew out of the window to a pine tree, where 

 he pecked at the dripping fine needles and 

 rejoiced in his freedom, uttering his familiar 

 sharp click. 



And he wouldn't come down — not he! 

 but flew to an acacia tree near by. I tried 

 to cajole him into descending, but as he 

 would not, I climbed the tree. 



Tt was a wet job, and when I got near he 

 hopped out to the end of the limb. Pur- 

 suing I caught him, and he laid his head in 

 my hand like a boy who has been naughty. 



Dick stopped his melodious song toward 

 the middle of summer, and has not sung 

 since, save for now and again a few wan- 

 dering, reflective warblings in the moon- 

 light, a quiet expression of his memories of 

 spring. 



For birds have memories. Dick has, I 

 know. 



After he had been mine for a time his 

 cage was attacked one night by a cat, a 

 huge grimalkin who made the poor fellow 

 quail and squeal with fright. Dick never 

 forgot that cat, as I will here prove. 



Yesterday my wife was amusing the 

 young Nidiologist of the family by imita- 

 ting the mewing of a cat. She had forgot- 

 ten Dick's cage was in the room, when 

 attracted to it by the bird's wild flutterings 

 and pathetic cry. He had heard the mew- 

 ing and was desperately trying to get out 

 and escape from his dread enemy, the sup- 

 posed cat. 



And you who shoot and slay — think of 

 the beauty, the song and the intelligence 

 which die with the flash of the gun! 



H. R. Taylok. 



George F. Breninger" writes from Santa Cruz, 

 Cal.: "I sawaspecimenofCalifornia Vulture while 

 crossing the Pacheco pass, another, or possibly 

 the same bird, at the San Luis ranch, Merced 

 County. I saw two in Santa Cruz County last 

 summer." He secured a Ross' Snow Goose in the 

 San Joaquin Valley. 



Mr. IvEverETT M. LcoiiAS, of the San Fran- 

 cisco Academy of Sciences, who made some valu- 

 able discoveries why studying migration in an open 

 boat in the ocean off Monterey, Cal., a few months 

 since, is at Monterej' pursuing the same line of 

 observation during the rough month of December. 



Mr. H. W. Henshavv', while in California re- 

 cently, discovered a new method for removing 

 the fat in skinning sea-birds. He uses ordinary 

 beach sand, rubbing it in by handfuls while skin- 

 ning, with the best of results. 



You are editing a magazine that anyone might 

 be proud of, and I sincerely wish you additional 

 success during the second year. — Frank C. Wil- 

 lard, Galesburg, III. 



"The envelope is a great improvement, for my 

 November Nid. arrived without a wrinkle. 

 Thanks for clutch W-tailed Kite." 



Note the change in rates for exchange notices. 

 The NidioIvOGIST reaches the best class of collec- 

 tors in America. 



Subscriptions can be commenced with No. i. 

 Vol. II, if desired, or with any number back to 

 January 1894. 



