THE NIDIOLOGIST 



in a thicket on the mountain side, which allowed 

 me to approach within a few feet before they 

 flew away. Coyotes are verytliick, but are sel- 

 dom shot, owing to their habit of sneaking 

 through the sage brush when there is any dan- 

 ger at hand. The snowshoe rabbits are very 

 numerous on the summit of the range. As 

 the snow melts away these rabbits retire to a 

 high altitude, and are the most numerous high 

 up among the dense pines. Sage chipmunks 

 are very common on the flats. Badger seem 

 tame and not at all alarmed at the approach of 

 man. Western porcupines are often seen root- 

 ing around the roots of the sage brush in 

 search of food. Yours faithfully, 



Nathan L. Davis. 

 Jacksons Hole, \Vyo., August i, 1895. 



vise the readers of this brief notice to send off and 

 purchase a copy, and then hie to some shady nook for 

 its perusal, and afterward, on the library shelf, give 

 it the place it deserves among similar treasures of 

 wood-lore in print. R. W. S. 



[I'liblicutions for rfvio%%' shoti'd be sent In Dr li. "W. Shufei.dt. 

 -Vssociate in Zoology, Smithsonian Inslimtion, Wasliington, D. C] 



Game Birds at Home, by Theodore S. Van Dyke. 

 New York: Fords, Howard & Hulbeit, 1S95. Pp. 1-219, 

 i6mo, gilt top, $1.50. 



Never have I read anywhere more charming ac- 

 counts of our game birds than are given in the four- 

 teen chapters of this most excellent little book. N'ot 

 only do I find a large part of the life histories of the 

 birds treated, but in addition thereto there is pre- 

 sented, in the most fascinating manner possible, true, 

 poetic, and admirable pictures of the haunts of Ameri- 

 can game birds from one end of the United States to 

 the other. Still this is not the chief aim of Mr. Van 

 Dyke in putting forth this last and best of his works, 

 for above mere description of fowls and haunts he 

 has, in style most winning and in language most sim- 

 ple, portrayed for us those refined emotions that arise 

 within the mind of the gentle and true sportsman, 

 when, with or without his dog and gun, he finds him- 

 self close to the inner part of nature, and in the pres- 

 ence of any of the various forms of wild fowl he loves 

 so well. 



The hunting of "Bob White " has never been told 

 better than it is here ; and one can almost see the 

 Woodcock as our author " puts them up " in the pages 

 of Game Birds at Home — or as he says : " Where the 

 snowv racemes of the shad bush lit up the still leaf- 

 less thickets, what a thrill those little holes in the mud 

 made by the Woodcock's bill sent through my soul." 

 It is a positive treat to read what Mr. Van Dyke has 

 to say, too, about the Ruffed, the Pinnated, and the 

 Sharp-tailed Grouse ; although these accounts are no 

 better than his " Days among the Ducks," and his fine 

 portrayals of the hunting of Geese. Cranes, Plover, 

 Snipe, the Quails of California, the Wild Turkey, and 

 Sea Fowl. 



As I read with ever increasing pleasure these chap- 

 ters about our game birds, there creeps over me an 

 almost irresistible desire to quote here large parts of 

 them in full, so that those of the many readers of 

 the NiDiOLOGiST who have not as yet read the book, 

 mav enjoy them likewise, but our space will not ad- 

 mit of such indulgence, and so it is but left me to ad- 



THERE ARB HOriENTS, ETC. 



(Up to date.) 



You have heard of the perplexities that do befall us 

 lads. 

 This is one of them, this is one of them : 

 .4nd when we think of some of them, we say in tones 

 so sad, 

 "There are moments when one wants to be alone." 



(For example.) 



When Taylor climbs his Eagles" nests and gazes at his 

 " rents." 

 That is one of them, that is one of them : 

 To have a crowd of one along, he says makes him 

 content, 

 There are moments when he wants to be alone. 



When Barlow sees a pair of Kites a-soaring full of 

 grace. 

 That is one of them, that is one of them ; 

 As they settle in a tree-top, a smile is said to light his 

 face. 

 For the're moments when one likes to be alone. 



When we run across an "amateur" — of course it 

 shouldn't be so — 



That is one of them, that is one of them : 

 He has a lot of rarities — the rest you ought to know. 



There are moments when one wants to be alone. 



When " Buck " has climbed the Eagle tree, and found 

 the nest so bare. 

 That is one of them, that is one of them ; 

 And through the limbs descends again, you surely 

 will declare 

 That's a moment when he ought to be alone. 



When the "Niri" comes to us breezily, with articles 

 so dear. 

 That is one of them, that is one of them : 

 To read it in the rocking-chair, with naught to inter- 

 fere. 

 There are moments when one wants to be alone. 



GOLDF.X Wkst. 



A Plea for the Bluebirds. 



Dear .Sir : I liave iiot done as much col- 

 lecting this season as in former ones, but have 

 been around the country considerably and 

 have failed to ^ee a single pair of Bluebirds 

 nesting, something very unusual for these parts, 

 as they are one of our most common birds, or 

 at least have been in former years. I am in 

 hopes our good Oologists will spare what few- 

 are left for a few years until they can be heard 

 again, in the latter part of March, singing their 

 mournful chirj) high ui) in air when the ground 

 is covered with snow. 



AlMON E. KlIiBE. 



Mayville, N. Y., August 2, 1895. 



