OOLOGIST'S EXCHANGE. 



because of lack of application, ask 

 pathetically if there "is no way to stop 

 the wholesale slaughter." Gentlemen, 

 a large portion of the evil lies at your 

 own doors ; eliminate the corrupt from 

 your own ranks, and then the way will 

 be clear to grapple with, the outside 

 causes. 



THE SHOEBILL. 

 (Balancarips rex). Fam. Balamcipidae. 



BY TTTAD. RUBBER. 



A singular African bird is the Shoe- 

 bill, which takes its name from its 

 curiously formed bill, which in 

 shape resembles a shoe. Wood says, 

 "the bill is enormously expanded 

 at each side; the edges of the upper 

 mandible overhang those of the lower 

 and its tip is furnished with a large 

 hook which is well suited for tearing 

 to pieces the substances on which tlie 

 bird feeds." The legs of the bird are 

 very long, with large feet which -are 

 provided with powerful nails. Wings 

 long and broad. The prevailing color 

 of the plumage is a beautiful ash 

 gray; the edge of the larger feathers 

 are bordered with light gray. The eye 

 is bright yellow, the bill is horn color, 

 the foot black. 



According to Schwinefurth the 

 length of the male is one hundred and 

 forty centimetres. It inhabits the 

 country around the White Nile, be- 

 tween the fifth and eighth degrees of 

 north latitude. They are found in 

 flocks of several individuals standing 

 breast deep in the water catching their 

 favorite prey, fish. It is found in al- 

 most impenetrable swamps. Pithwiek 

 says, "the Shoebill catches and eats 

 water snakes, and it also feeds on the 

 intestines of dead animals, the car- 

 casses of which it easily rips open with 

 the strong hook on its upper bill." In 

 speaking of the habits of this bird, 

 Schwiuefurth says, "it is very shy and 

 cautious, and at the approach of man 

 it rises with a loud rustling noise and 

 flies low over the reeds, which soon 

 hide it from sight. It it becomes 

 frightened at the report of a gun, it 

 rises high in air, circles round for a 

 long time and will not return to the 

 water as long as it suspects the pres- 

 sence of man." 



They breed during the months of 

 July and August (the wet season). The 

 spot usually chosen for the nest is in 

 the reeds quite near the water's edge. 

 The nest, almost a metre (89.37 inches) 

 in height, is firmly built of dry reed 

 stalks, plants, sod and mud. The eggs 

 are said to be comparatively small. 



January 31, 1890. 



THE GREAT AUK. 



CONCLUDED. 



In Audubon's octavo-edition of 

 the Birds of America (1844) he says 

 (vol. 7, p. 245), "The only authentic 

 account of the occurrence of this bird 

 on our coast that I possess, w r as obtained 

 from Mr. Henry Havell, brother of my 

 engraver, who, when on his passage 

 from New York to England, hooked a 

 great Auk on the banks of Newfound- 

 land, in extremely boisterous weather. 

 On being hauled on board, it was left 

 at liberty on the deck. It walked very 

 awkwardiy, often tumbling over, bit 

 every one within reach of its powerful 

 bill, and refused food of all kinds. 

 After continuing several days on board, 

 it was restored to its pi'oper element." 

 A beautiful plate accompanies this note 

 (plate 465) illustrating one bird in an 

 upright posture and another in the act 

 of swimming. 



There are at present known to be five 

 specimens in American Museums, viz: 

 Smithsonian Institution, Cambridge 

 Museum, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie 

 (the latter the original of Audubon's 

 figures), American Museum at N. Y. 

 City, and the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia. There is an 

 egg in the first and last named institu- 

 tions. 



The description of the specimen in 

 the collection ottne Philadelphia Acad- 

 emy is as follows: Head, neck, and 

 upper parts black, shading into rusty 

 brown near the rump and tail; lower 

 parts white ; tips of secondaries white ; 

 an oval spot of white on each side of 

 the frons in front of the eyes; bill 

 black with the interstices between the 

 transverse groove white; feet brown- 

 ish. The mounted specimen stands 29 

 inches high. 



The egg answers to the following 

 description ; ground color dirty white 

 with brownish and greenish markings 

 thickly covering the larger end and 

 becoming finer and less in number 

 toward the smaller end; length 126 

 millimetres, greatest diameter 78, small- 

 est 40 millimetres. There are about 70 

 skins known to be preserved hi various 

 museums, with as many eggs, a half 

 dozen complete skeletons, and other 

 bones of perhaps a hundred individuals. 



For every complete, first class set of 



Bird's Eggs with data, sent me, I will 



give a receipt for making Rubber 



Stamps. 



Fred. W. Stack. 



Poughkeepsie., N. Y. 



