12 



THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



and smaller markings. Clapper Kails are 

 OToidal in shape, tapering slightly towards 

 smaller end, but not sharply pointed, ground 

 color, a dirty cream or drab with a few spots 

 of reddish brown mingled with purple shell 

 marks mostly on and about the larger end. 

 Virginia and Sora Bails are similar in shape 

 to the above but much smaller in size, the 

 Yirginia having a light cream ground with 

 none of the oliva ceous tint so common in 

 the Sora. The markings of the former are 

 small, of a reddish brown, with purple shell 

 spots scattered over the surface, but more 

 numerous near the larger end. The Sora is 

 darker in color and with the olive tint before 

 mentioned, though I have specimens which 

 are a dark, rich cream, without any olive. 

 The spots are of two shades of brown, one 

 overlaying the other and with the same pur- 

 ple spots or blotches. None of the Bails, to 

 my knowledge, are ever so thickly spotted 

 as to have the ground color concealed." 



"J^.K." System of Arrang-ement. 



A naturalist, traveling in the interior of 

 Pennsylvania, stopped at a veiy neat, clean 

 tavern, and was agreeably surprised to find 

 the chimney-pieces, ctijpboards, etc., crowd- 

 ed with specimens of minerals and fossils, 

 each of them bearing a label with N. K. on 

 it. Puzzled by these letters, he sought for 

 information of a smart-looking woman, who 

 was the landlady. She informed him that 

 her nephew, who was gone to Kentucky, was 

 the owner of these specimens, and that he 

 had pasted some long names upon them, he 

 had learnt from the doctors in Philadelphia ; 

 but they were so hard to pronounce when 

 her neighbors asked her questions ' aboiit 

 them, that she had taken them off, and put 

 N. K. upon every one of them. The natu- 

 ralist assenting to all this, asked her the 

 meaning of N. K. "So you don't know 

 what the meaning of N. K. is ?" said she. 

 "Upon my word, I have not the least idea," 

 he replied. "Well," said she, "I thought 

 the Philadelphians knowed everything ; how- 

 ever, if you don't know I'll tell you. N. K. 

 means 'Nayterul Kurossitys.' " 



^W Subscribe for The Yoxme Oolo&ist, 



The Best Book for Ornitholo- 

 gists and Oologists. 



During the past few weeks we have re- 

 ceived dozens of inquiries as to whidh is the 

 best book of reference on ornithology pub- 

 lished. In reply we would say that Coues' 

 Key to N. A. Birds is the standard, and 

 should be in the library of every person in- 

 terested in ornithology or oology in America. 

 Samuels' Birds of New England is another 

 good work, but is limited, in its description, 

 to N. E. Birds (which includes most of the 

 species east of the Mississippi). Either Coues' 

 or Samuels' works can be obtained at any 

 book store, or of any dealer in naturalists' 

 supplies. As most of our readers wish a 

 more complete description before purchas- 

 ing so expensive a book, we copy the pros- 

 pectus of Coues', which we have just re- 

 ceived from the publishers : 



I{^Y TO NoETH American Bieds ; contain- 

 ing a concise accoimt of every species of liv. 

 ing and fossil bird at present known on the 

 continent north of the boundary line be- 

 tween Mexico and the United States, includ- 

 ing Greenland. Second edition, revised to 

 date, and entirely rewritten : with which are 

 incorporated General Ornithology, an out- 

 line of the structure and classification of 

 birds; and Field Ornithology, a manual of 

 collecting, preparing, and preserving birds. 

 By Elliott Coues, M. A., M. D., Ph. D., 

 Member of the National Academy of Sci- 

 ences, etc., etc. Profusely illustrated. 



The original edition of this standard text- 

 book of Ornithology being entirely out of 

 print, and still very much in demand, the 

 publishers have spared neither pains nor ex- 

 pense in the preiDaration of "The New Key," 

 in which the whole subject is carefully 

 brought doTATi to date. 



Coues' "Key" is too well known as a 

 leading and aiithoritative treatise to require 

 remark, having for twelve years held its 

 place as the standard work of reference for 

 professional ornithologists as well as for stu- 

 dents and amateurs. The publishers, how- 

 ever, beg to call attention to the special fea- 

 tures of the Second Edition now oifered. 



The work has been entirely recast in con- 

 formity with the unexamjjled progress of the 

 science dui-ing the last decade — an advance 

 largely stimulated and fostered by the work 

 itself ; the same author's "Field Ornitholo- 

 gy," "Birds of the Northwest," and "Birds 

 of the Colorado Valley," the "Bulletin 

 of the Nuttall Ornithological Club," the 

 "History of North American Bii'ds," by 

 Baird, Brewer and Bidgewaj^, and many 



