128 



THE NIDIOLOGIST 



shown within recent years. For example, he says, 

 " orders and families are based on skeletal, muscular, 

 and visceral characters," and yet he puts the Flamin- 

 goes in an ordt-r by themselves, and retains the \'ul- 

 tures {Cnf//i7rit/if) as a fomily in the order Raptorts 

 with the FtiUotiidiC and Owls — and this in total disre- 

 gard of what is known of the " internal characters" 

 of those birds. Similar instances to this could be 

 pointed out with respect to other groups, and where 

 a lack of knowledge of Morphology has led him into 

 the error of perpetuating like incongruities. But put- 

 ting such purely scientific criticism aside, the author 

 of this little volume is to be congratulated upon hav- 

 ing given to Ornithological science a book that will 

 easily take a leading place among the standard and 

 classical treatises of the day, and it justly merits every 

 particle of the success that, beyond all question, is in 

 store for it. R. W. Shlfeldt. 



Owls of ye Sucker State. 



De.vr Mr. Tavlor, will you please relate 

 To those fellow-cranks in the Sucker State, 

 That Fve been trying a twelvemonth through 

 To prove their observations true. 

 Regarding those Owls who build so high 

 In the sycamores that sweep the sky ? 



I've corresponded East and West, 

 Concerning old Bubo's lofty nest ; 

 And I've spent much time and paper too 

 In trying to prove those statements true. 

 But all in vain; strange to relate, 

 No one will back the Sucker State. 



My compilation extending through 



The Eastern seaboard, and Western too; 



The fair Iowa, and Michigan 



X. Y., N. H.. and Pennsylvan, 



To Indiana, full up to date, 



And I've even canvassed the Sucker State. 



But though from records they will maintain. 

 From Californy to the State of Maine, 

 That the trees grow big and very tall, 

 Their knowledge of nesting Owis is small ; 

 At least of the Owls of recent date, 

 That nest so high in the Sucker State. 



For one and all (we'll let them pass 

 From Denver, Col., to Boston, Mass.) 

 Are far too honest to take their oath. 

 Though 'tis not rare to stretch the truth. 

 A hundred feet, with a big rebate. 

 Is the highest record from the Sucker State. 



Of the many notes that have blown in. 



Exclusive of those that look too thin. 



The greatest height of a Bubo's nest 



Is ninety feet, from East or West. 



And, to be dead mean, I must here relate 



That this note doesn't hail from the Sucker Stale. 



Twenty-six feet up was the lowest nest, 



While in my State, eighty-one was best ; 



And fifty-nine is the average height 



Of the cranks who used their tapelines right. 



It surely is sad to contemplate 



How one stretched his line in the Sucker State. 



And now that the season for Bubo is past, 

 No doubt affidavits will appear very fast. 

 Of nests at one hundred and fifty or more ? 

 And surely one forty will show by the score? 

 Come now ! show up ! with sworn day and date, 

 Affidavits, not talk, from the great Sucker State. 



Wii.i.i.\M Hk.vky. 



Wilson's Plover in California. 



OX June 24, 1S94, I visited Pacific Beach, San 

 Diego County, in search of Snowy Plovers' 

 eggs. I had only walked a short distance 

 over a much-frequented portion of the beach when a 

 Snowy Plover was observed running over the sand 

 with outstretched wings and distressing gait, endeav- 

 oring to lead me from a set of three nice eggs which 

 were in a slight depression on a sandy knoll. 



While examining the eggs I was startled by a 

 peculiar alarm cry, quite unlike any note of the 

 usually silent Snowy Plover. On looking up I saw 

 that a strange bird had arrived and was assisting 

 Mrs. Snowy in her etTorts to distract my attention 

 from her treasures ; he followed her around and 

 chirped out lots of advice or words of sympathy as 

 she dragged herself along W'ith drooping wings and 

 body on the sand. He was the most talkative Plover 

 I ever met, and coukl not have shown more solicitude 

 had he been the rightful owner of the eggs. He con- 

 tinued his cry of disapproval long after I left the 

 emptied nest ; ran ahead eighty or a hundred feet, 

 and kept at about that distance until we had gone up 

 the beach nearly a quarter of a mile. Then he took 

 wing and disappeared in opposite direction. I 

 searched over same ground on my return a few hours 

 later, but did not see him. 



I made another trip to the beach on June 29, espe- 

 cially to hunt for this bird and its eggs I found him 

 within a hundred feet of his old quarters, in company 

 with three Snowy Plovers. He ran ahead of me as 

 on former occasion, but only uttered a few notes and 

 did not seem as much disturbed by my presence. I 

 watched him for upward of three hours; not seeing 

 any other Plovers of same species, I came to the con- 

 clusion that it was probably an unmated bird, and 

 sent a charge of number twelve after the only Wil- 

 son's Plover ever seen in this State. It proved to be 

 a male in good condition, save for a scalp wound re- 

 ceived in some unknown way since the 24th instant. 

 The scalp had been cut or torn, and becoming dry 

 curled forward with feathers attached, making a 

 crested and baldheaded Plover out of the same bird. 

 There was an oblong place one fourth of an inch 

 wide on the back of its skull which was entirely free 

 from skin, the edge of surrounding skin having dried 

 tight to the bone on three sides. I believe the in- 

 jury would not have proved fatal. 



A. M. Ingersoli.. 



Dr. Murchison's Egg Drill. 



THERE are drills, and drills. Here is 

 one Dr. A. C. Murchison thinks is the 

 best out, and as he is a dentist he ought 

 to know something about it. He writes us : 



" The only egg drill is a dentist's cone 

 burr, and when you have used one the 

 affairs sold by the Oologist supply men 

 will tempt you no more, even as a present. Go 

 to your dentist and ask him to get you one, and 

 tell him how large, as the sizes of dealers vary. 



" It will cost you from ten to twenty-five cents, 

 but will last you a season. One must make a 

 hole with a needle and then use the burr, but 

 be careful or it will cut through, and socpiickly 

 as to spoil your eggs. I let them cut clear in 

 and then cut back again, and in this way I get 

 rid of the flap of skin across the hole." 



