THE NIDOLOGIST 79 
togeny, as well as those upon Palzornithology, or 
where the remains of many extinct birds have been 
studied. Goethe, Lamark, Darwin, Wallace, and 
Haeckel added much to the elucidation of systematic 
or taxonomical Ornithology through the demonstra- 
tion of certain general biological laws, while this 
science of classificatory Ornithology received light 
from another direction, namely, the morphological 
one, through the labors of Witzsch, Huxley, Milne- 
Edwards, W. K. Parker, Garrod, and others. His- 
tology and its allied branches, with Physiology and its 
kindred departments, both as applied to birds, have 
been ably advanced by not a few minds and hands, 
and in addition to this all the anatomical systems of 
many species and groups of avian forms have been 
worked out in detail. As in all other natural di- 
visions of animals, it is found that the facts of mor- 
phology, physiology, paleontology, and geographical 
distribution as applied to AvEs, all rest upon and mu- 
tually explain each other, and all tend to demonstrate 
the origin of birds in time, their relations to each 
other, and to other vertebrate groups, and all else that 
goes to make up the special and general biological 
history of the class. 
Professor Fiirbringer’s address brings the history 
of avian anatomy down to about the latter part of 
1890, and for the ten years prior to that time he, with 
great thoroughness, points out the wonderful amount 
of work that has been accomplished in the Osteology 
of Birds, and how, in some quarters, this acquired 
knowledge has been utilized by those systematic tax- 
onomers capable of appreciating it. Many have de- 
voted themselves to the embryology of birds; to 
studies of the flight of birds; and to their pterylog- 
raphy. One author neglects to notice not a thing, and 
with marked lucidity and a keen philosophy he 
handles the literature of every possible department 
of Ornithological science that has in any way had its 
literature augmented during the period of which he 
treats. Ten quarto pages of Ornithological bibliog- 
raphy complete this masterly paper, the closing words 
of which latter echo we back to its very eminent au- 
thor—‘‘ Gehen auch wir Viribus unitus zur Arbeit—so 
gehen wir zum Siege!” R. W. S. 
> +e 
Ornis of a City Yard. 
N EXT door to me, in this city, is a hous® 
in a yard of about half an acre, in 
which are some seven or eight good- 
sized trees. 
Below I give a list of the birds noted in there 
by me during the last three years. 
Screech Owl.—December 24, 1892, just be- 
fore dark, I saw one perched on the rainspout 
under the eaves of the house. 
Chimney Swift—While not zz the yard I 
have seen them flying aéove it, and on one oc- 
casion saw one pluck a twig from a locust tree. 
Ruby-throated Hummingbird.—I have fre- 
quently seen a single individual, and on one 
warm day in May, 1893, I saw at least one 
hundred birds flying about a large horse chest- 
nut tree that was in full blossom at the time. 
Crow.—Only once have I seen one stop in 
the yard. March 14, 1892, two flew over, then 
circled about and perched in the top of one of 
the maples. 
Goldfinch.—September 8, 1894, one ¢ and 
two 9 were seen eating the seed from a bed of 
sunflowers. 
Cedarbird.—May 20, 1894, while eating 
breakfast I heard their note, and looking out 
my back window I saw a flock of eight or ten 
in the locust tree. 
Red-eyed Vireo.—July 20, 1893, one was seen 
feeding in the maples; another was seen May 
20, 1894. 
Black-and-white Warbler.—In May, 1892, I 
saw one in a maple tree in the street in front of 
my house. It soon flew to the next yard, where 
it remained the balance of the day. 
Yellow Warbler.—I do not know the date of 
their arrival, but during the latter part of May, 
and all through June, 1892, I could hear a pair 
in the next yard. ‘They would begin singing 
about 4 o'clock a. M. 
On November 13 I discovered the nest. It 
was in a gincko tree, about forty feet up, and 
out on a long limb, about twenty feet from the 
trunk. 
May 4, 1893, my little friends made their ap- 
pearance again, as usual singing every morning 
soon after daybreak. June 7, while seated on 
my back porch, I caught sight of their nest. 
Next spring I shall look for them about May r. 
(They did not appear in 1895.) 
Black-throated Blue Warbler.—October 17, 
1895, I shot a &. 
Blackpoll Warbler.—Killed an immature bird 
September 28, 1895; another October 2, 1895. 
Brown Creeper.—October 26, 1895, I saw 
one working in and out of the crevices of an old 
stone wall. 
Golden-crowned Kinglet.—Several seen in 
the maples October 26, 1895. 
Robin.—Frequently seen during the fall mi- 
grations. 
English Sparrow.—My list would not be 
complete unless I included this pest. They 
are there all the time, and many a one meets its 
death by my rifle. Their nests are in the vines 
on the side of my house, but are out of reach. 
I have also noted the following from time to 
time: Sparrow Hawk, House Wren, Blue Jay, 
Nighthawk, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, White-bellied 
Nuthatch; also several small Warblers, species 
unknown. 
The following were seen and reported to me: 
Bob White.—In the latter part of September, 
1892, the colored janitor of a club near my 
house was passing the front gate early in the 
morning and saw a covey of nineteen birds on 
the lawn. i 
Ruffed Grouse.—In company with the Bob 
Whites was a single individual of this species. 
WiLiiaM H. FIsHer. 
Baltimore, Md. 
