THE OOLOGIST. 



?,n 



Nearly all of the Bargain Lots mentioned 

 in Jan. OoijOGISt remain unsold. At tbe 

 prices named tliey arc true borgaiiu^: if yoii 

 want any speak quick. 



Delays:-.^ A few premiums we have been 

 oblij^ed to delay a few days before forward- 

 ing to our iJatrons, but the only delays of 

 importance are to those desiring Premium 

 No. 20, Foreign Eggs. We have been ex- 

 pecting an importation since Jnn. 1st. but 

 as yet it s not here; we cau;. promise them 

 by Feb. 15th, without fail. A few "delays 

 have occurred on prems. \?>2 and 133, but 

 if our friends in ordering from this list will 

 name sulistitutes, no delays will occur. 



The "Critic" Criticised. ^ 



To THE EdITOK of THE OOLOGIST: 



While looking oveT the January ibsue of 

 yonr magazine, my attention was drawn to i 

 an article by Scoloi:)ax, criticising the state- 

 ment made by me in the May Oologist, of 

 last year, to the effect tliat the eggs of the 

 Bald' Eagle were about equal to those of 

 a goose in size. 



I think that I am only doing myself 

 justice in replying and giving my aiitliority 

 for that ■' emanation of an untruthful col- 

 lector's brain " (as he calls it). 



When I wrote the article in question I 

 had never seen an eagle's egg, although I 

 had frequently seen and attempted to shoot 

 the birds; so, when 1 came to that part of 

 my description, I was obliged to refer to 

 some work on Ornithology, and as I had the 

 good fortune to possess a copy of ' ' The 

 Birds of North America,'' by Theodore 

 Jasper, A. M., M. D. , which contains a 

 desciption and colored engraving of over 

 seven hundred species of our birds, I natur- 

 ally STipposed that I had good authority to 

 back me up, and as Mr. Jasper stated in 

 his description of this eagle, page one, 

 second column, that the eggs were two in 

 number, autl about the size of those of a 

 goose, I took it for a fact and unhesitatingly 

 subscribed to it; but I must say that the 

 geese in Michigan are either very large oi- 

 possess capacities for laWng extraordinarily 



large eggs, if one of their productions is 

 four times as largo in cubic contents as the 

 Bald Eagle's egg now in my ctillectioii, 

 although it is only an average specimen. 



As to the other statements made in my 

 article, I will refer Scolopax to at least for.r 

 rehable persons in. this town, if he desires, 

 to proVe them trne. 



Although I am muc-h j'ounger at the bi:s- 

 iness than Scolopax, yet I think that I have 

 as much ti'ue love for the Science as he can 

 possibly have and that I have just as deep 

 an ambition to be truthful and reliable. 



I would suggest to Scolopax that he tal e 

 his own advice and be sure, that he knows 

 a collector is untiul! fnl 1 efoie Le attempts 

 to assert it. 



II. C. Cook. Pots-drm, N. Y. 



To Mk. S. 



In reply to your a i tide in the Januaiy 

 n umber of th.is jiapcr . I would request yt u 

 to refer to Lavie's Key 2nd edition, al^o to 

 Histories of Page and Lucas Corinties and 

 Geology of Iowa. Each of the above 

 named gives a list cf birds including tbe 

 Carolina Parakeet. In saying this I do not 

 deviate from the truth; I dislike to use bard 

 words, but 1 am a little inclined to think 

 that Mr. S. of Kalamazoo, Mich., is "off of 

 his base. " In saying that the Paiakeet 

 does not breed in lo-^a, he contradicts some 

 of the best authorities in the United States. 

 Mr. Davie, in giving the habitat, thus says: 

 Hab. Southern States, up the Missitsij^pi 

 Valley to the Missourri region, west to Ar- 

 kansas and Indian Territory. Eeccntlj' 

 Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa etc. ; former!}' 

 strayed to Ohio, Pennsylvania and Kcx 

 York; but of late has receded from ;' . 

 Carolinas; still abundant in 3|'orida. ivl.. 

 S. should know that the real truth caiinot 

 be contradicted by mere negative. 

 Yours truly 



T. S., Corning, Iowa. 



Ed. Oologist : 



. Dear Sir: In regard to article in last No. 

 of The Oologist in regard to the 'Jarolina 

 'Parakeet, wrlten by the gentleman of 

 Kalamazon, Mi<li. 



