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Bird - Lore 



Walter K. Fisher writes of 'Three Boobies 

 Interviewed ' on Laysan Island, M. French 

 Oilman gives an account of the habits of 

 ' The Leconte Thrasher ' from observations 

 made along the western edge of the Colorado 

 Desert in California, and Adolph E. 

 Schutze describes the ' Nesting Habits of 

 the Caracara in Texas.' Under the title 

 ' About the Utah Gull,' Rev. S. H. Good-' 

 win calls attention to the confusion of names 

 under which the California Gull (Larus 

 californiciis) has been referred to by writers 

 on Utah birds. Mention should also be 

 made of a paper by Loye H. Miller, who 

 contributes an annotated list of about sev- 

 enty species of birds observed in the John 

 Day region of Oregon in 1899. The illus- 

 trations comprise a frontispiece and eleven 

 half-tone text figures. 



Nearly one- half of the September-Octo- 

 ber number is devoted to Professor W. W. 

 Cooke's interesting paper on ' Some New 

 Facts about the Migration of Birds,' re- 

 printed from the Year-book of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture for 1903. Rev. S. H. 

 Goodwin describes a visit to a colony of 

 ' Pelicans Nesting at Utah Lake,' but omits 

 to mention the year — an unfortunate over- 

 sight in view of the statement that this was 

 the first time the birds had nested at this 

 place. Two hundred or more young birds 

 were found, but only a few eggs. A. W. 

 Johnson contributes ' Notes on Unusual 

 Nesting Sites of the Pacific Yellow-throat,' 

 and W. L. Finley a short paper on ' The 

 Lutescent Warbler in Oregon.' Emerson 

 comments on several reported instances of 

 birds caring for broken legs or wings, and 

 C. H. Richardson, Jr., presents a briefly 

 annotated ' List of Summer Birds of the 

 Pinte Mountains, California.' 



The series of portraits of naturalists is 

 continued with excellent likenesses of Harry 

 C. Oberholser, in the July number, and of 

 Mrs. Florence Merriam Bailey in the Sep- 

 tember number. — T. S. P. 



Wilson Bulletin. — No. 48 of 'Wilson 

 Bulletin' contains the following articles: 

 'Notes on the Holbcell Grebe,' by R. J. 

 Sim; 'An Ornithological Reconnoissance 

 of the (jtand Reservoir. Ohio, in 1904,' by 



W. F. Henninger; 'July Fourth Censo- 

 Horizons, 1904,' Lynds Jones; 'Spring 

 Migration Along Lake Erie's Shore,' by R. 

 J. Sim; ' Additions to the List of the Win- 

 ter Birds of Wayne County, Mich.,' by B 

 H. Swales; 'Some Barn Swallow Nests, 

 by C. J. Hunt; 'Lawrence Warbler Breed- 

 ing in Bronx Park, New York City,' by G. 

 E. Hix; 'An Addition to the Birds of 

 Ohio,' by Lynds Jones; 'All Day With 

 the Birds,' Lynds Jones, and ' Some Needed 

 Work,' Lynds Jones. Mr. Sim records 

 some very interesting and valuable observa- 

 tions in relation to the habits and actions 

 of a captive Holbcell Grebe, which he was 

 fortunate in having the opportunity to study 

 for a considerable length of time. The va- 

 rious characteristic attitudes and movements 

 of the bird while feeding, drinking, bath- 

 ing, preening, sleeping, swimming, diving, 

 standing and walking, as well as the effect 

 of curiosity, fear and other mental impres- 

 sions upon it, were carefully noted. Lynds 

 Jones makes some timely suggestions in 

 ' All Day With the Birds ' and ' Some 

 Needed Work ' in connection with bird 

 study in the field. Any one who has had 

 occasion to go beyond his own observations 

 and experiences in search of facts touching 

 on the life histories of birds has learned 

 how little can be gleaned from the books on 

 the every-day habits of our common birds. 

 Although it is desirable to work out and 

 describe new species and subspecies where 

 they really exist, it would seem more com- 

 mendable, however, if a greater number of 

 our ornithologists devoted their energies to 

 gathering facts relating to the habits of well- 

 known forms and to leave the arduous task 

 of species-buildingtoits advocates. — A.K.F. 



The Audubon Calendar 



The Massachusetts Audubon Society Au- 

 dubon Calendar for 1905 consists of six large 

 plates of Warblers with descriptive text on 

 the back of each plate. The price of the 

 Calendar is 60 cents, postpaid. Special rates 

 will be given to Audubon Societies ordering 

 twelve or more Calendars. Address orders 

 to the Secretary of the Society, care of the 

 Boston Society of Natural History, Boston. 



