THE OOLOGIST. 



205 



eggs without considerable risk and 

 trouble, we did not disturb the mother 

 bird; but it was a pretty sight to see 

 her sitting on her nest, rising and fall- 

 ing with the motion of the light breezes 

 that were playing around her, and not 

 at all disturbed by our presence below. 

 Our earlier impressions were that these 

 birds nested near our dwellings, 

 because they seem to have a preference 

 for cultivated flowers and the natural 

 conclusion was that they would nest 

 near their food supply, but this was an 

 instance to the contrary. My observa- 

 tion goes to show that they prefer 

 trumpet-shaped flowers like the honey- 

 suckle to many of the more showey 

 kinds. The more we study the habits 

 of this biixl the more interested we are. 

 The same is true of all the interesting 

 .subjects found in Nature's l)ook, which 

 ]ies open for all to read who may. 

 Erwin G. Wahd, 

 Palmer, Mass. 



Ornitliologists at Indianapolis. 



Mr. Editor: 



At this, the thirty ninth meeting of 

 the American Association for the Ad- 

 vancement of Science held here, a sub- 

 section of Ornithology was formed by 

 scientists of tiiis and adjacent states. 

 The ornithologists of the A. A. A. S. 

 and many outsiders met in response to 

 an invitation and many papers were 

 read, among them articles by Widmann 

 of Mo., Evermann and Butler of Ind., 

 Professor Steere and Dr. Gibbs of 

 Mich. 



Mr. Amos W. Butler of Brookville, 

 Ind., was elected president, and the 

 other offices of a regular organization 

 were tilled. We will meet again at the 

 next annual meeting and, with the A. 

 A. A. S., when we hope to add many 

 new members to our young society. 



SCOLOPAX. 



Indiaiiapoiis, Ind., Aug. 34, '90. 



The Burrowing Owl. 



One mile and one-half north of here 

 is what is known as dog town. This is 

 a section of virgin prairie where prairie 

 dogs, rattle snakes. Burrowing Owls 

 and numerous ground birds live. The 

 Burrowing Owl will l)e our subject. 

 On the flfth day of May we went out 

 collecting. We were Avell supplied 

 with tools for we thoyght we would 

 have to dig deep after birds. It is said 

 by many frontiersmen that the snake, 

 owl and dog inhabit the same hole; but 

 of all the owl holes we have explored 

 we have found none. 



On arrival at the dog town we were 

 greeted with barks and amused at the 

 frantic efl'orts of the little dogs to reach 

 their holes. We went some Avay fur- 

 ther in the town when we saw an owl 

 tiy out of a hole. On reaching the 

 hole we found it to be a deserted dog 

 hole (a new one having fresh dirt 

 around tlie mouth of it, which is kept 

 fresh Ijy tliem scratching in it.) There 

 was dry horse manure and feathers 

 around the hole. We commenced dig- 

 ging and had not gone far before we 

 found some dead mice and moles 

 strewn all along the bottom ofthe pas- 

 sage. Finally we saw the female sit- 

 ting in the passage which we thought 

 was the nest. We were both afraid to 

 reach in and get her, so we drew cuts 

 to see which one should. It fell to me 

 and I pulled her out. We could see 

 one egg lying in the passage. Whether 

 she does this to fool collectors we cannot 

 say, possibly not, but think she does. 

 Further in the hole was the nest about 

 two feet in diame,l;,or and two or three 

 inches deep, tilled with dry horse ma- 

 nure, with ten pure white' eggs in it. 

 The passage never runs straight, but 

 angles into the nest. Some may think 

 it quite rare to get a set of these eggs, 

 Vmt we do not. In the pastures out 

 here where you can find a deserted 

 badger or some other burrowing 



