72 



IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



striving to surmount the trunk of 

 the oak. Perching ourselves near 

 by, we watched proceedings. Mr. 

 H. said it was impossible for us 

 to stay the hand of this vertebrate. 

 After several hours of arduous 

 labor he reached our abode and 

 mercilessly took all the eggs. 

 When he regained terra firm a, he 

 said, "These are the first eggs 

 of this speeies I have ever found, 

 but I tell you I wouldn't take an- 

 other climb like that for fifty 

 like them", so we felt pretty 

 sure that he wouldn't be back 

 again that year; therefore after a 

 few days of mourning, another 

 set of eggs was laid in the same 

 hole and in a fortnight four young 

 birds were hatched, which are 

 to-day mature specimens. It 

 was not so bad after all, for the 

 collector got a set of eggs and we 

 raised a brood too. We can 

 stand it for scientific men to 

 take our eggs for scientific -pur- 

 poses and even to take our lives, 

 when our skins will be preserved 

 in some collection as a monument 

 to our memory for untold ages; 

 but when the small boy and city 

 marksman come along seeking 

 whom they may devour, after 

 they have had what they call the 

 pleasure of killing us, we are left 

 for the beasts of the field and 

 bugs of the earth to prey upon 



our carcass: such wanton de- 

 struction as that is what we con- 

 demn. The Iowa ornithologists 

 are trying to have a law enforced 

 that will suppress those who shoot 

 only to bloody the bullet, hence 

 we esteem them as our best 

 friends. 



Of Historical Interest. 



A. I. JOHNSON, DES MOINES, TOWA. 



WON. J. F. Buncombe of Ft. 

 Dodge, Iowa, had in his park 

 on the evening of Dec. 4th, a 

 herd of thirteen deer of the short 

 tailed variety, (Cariacus leucurus). 

 Missing two of the principal and 

 most lordly monarchs of the herd, 

 the following morning, an inves- 

 tigation took place; when lo! and 

 behold, they were found with 

 antlers tightly locked and both 

 dead. 



That a fierce and protracted 

 fight had taken place, was plainly 

 to be seen two days later, when 

 the writer of this arrived there to 

 secure both of the bucks for the 

 State Historical Department here 

 in DesMoines, they having been 

 presented to that department by 

 Hon. J. F. Duncombe. 



It was commonly supposed 

 that they had broken each other's 

 necks, but upon dissecting they 

 were found perfectly sourld and 



