96 THE OSPREY. 



small finger. Each nest examined had this small round entrance except one. 

 This one was in a natural fold of usnea hanging from a limb, with an entrance 

 at the top similar in construction to a Vireo's nest. No pen description can do 

 these tiny nest-builders justice, as each nest is a model of beauty, and in nearly 

 every instance the fold of moss containing the nest and eggs, with the bird 

 sitting thereon, is so inconspicuous having only the appearance of a very 

 innocent piece of usnea waving gently in the breeze. The nests are usually 

 placed in a hard position to get a photograph of, but I have suceeded in getting 

 several very good ones with which 1 had intended to illustrate this article, but 

 through an unfortunate and unavoidable circumstance my plates were destroyed 

 after development. 



NOTE ON THOMAS B. WILSON. 



In the OsPREY for April are reproduced two photographs of Dr. Thomas 

 B. Wilson taken in 1860 or 1861. These were associated on the same plate 

 with one of John Cassin because he was to a large extent the cause of Cassin's 

 activity and the one who supplied him with the means of investigation through 

 his munificent gifts of bird skins and mounted specimens to the Academy of 

 National iSciences of Philadelphia. By those gifts he did more to advance, 

 thus indirectly, the study of exotic Ornithology in the United States than any 

 other person. He was born in Philadelphia in 1806 and died at Newark, 

 Delaware, on the 15th of March, 1865, and appointments were made of biog- 

 raphers by both the Academy of Natural Science and American Philosophical 

 Societies, but the duties were never f ulfiled. We hope to be able to present 

 one at some future time from the pen of Mr. Witmer Stone. 



NOTE ON GEORGE A. McCALL. 



General George Alexander McCall, forming with Cassin and Wilson the 

 trio of Philadelphia Ornithologists, is better known to the world at large as a 

 naturalist, but he did some good work in ornithology. He was born in Phila- 

 delphia on the 16th of March, 1802, and died in West Chester, near it, 26th 

 of February, 1868. He served in both the Mexican and Civil Wars and dur- 

 the former observed the birds which he subsequently commented on. The 

 photograph was taken in 1861 and presented to Dr. Gill. 



