One of the most curious and in- 

 teresting studies in nature is afford- 

 ed by a thoughtful examination of 

 birds' nests in all their wide variety, 

 especially if we are permitted to 

 witness their construction by the 

 marvelous "artists of the air. 1 " One 

 of the wonders of our childhood was 

 the "hangbirds" nest, swaying so 

 gracefully suspended from the 

 branch of a lofty elm; and another 

 childhood wonder, which still clings 

 to us, is why the nighthawk should 

 choose to substitute for a nest a 

 simple fiat rock in an open field 

 fully exposed to attack and to the 

 scorching rays of the midday sun, 

 while some birds use every possible 

 endeavor to secrete and guard from 

 attack their nests. The pine-pine 

 builds a singular nest. It is a double 

 nest in two compartments; the 

 mother sits in the alcove; in the 

 vestibule watches the father, an 

 attentive sentinel to repulse invas- 

 ion. — The A. A. Journal. 



Bushels of Dead Birds. 



THOUSANDS OFSrAEEOWS KILLED DUR- 

 ING THE RECENT STORM. 



The dead animal collector for the 

 Health department gathered a bush- 

 el basketful of dead sparrows yester- 

 day morning at the corner of Second 

 and Lloyd Streets. They were 

 driven from their roosts in trees and 

 in cornices of buildings by the heavy 

 fall of rain during the night. The 

 water fell in such a volume as to 

 drown them before they could get 

 under shelter again. The theory 

 that they were killed by falling hail 

 is erroneous, because no hail fell. 

 The keeper of the Courthouse park 

 picked up nearly 1,000 sparrows 

 under the trees and surrounding the 

 building. Streets in every section 

 of the city were covered with dead 

 birds vestcrday. — Miko. Sentinel 

 Aug. 19th. 



. It is stated that not less than 

 00,000 canary birds are sold in New 

 York City every year, besides 3,000 

 parrots, 1,000 mockingbirds, 1,200 

 to 1,500 cardinals, 3,000 to 4,000 

 gold-finches, also linnets, skylarks, 

 birds of Paradise, of which 500 a 

 year are sold; grobtils, nonpariels, 

 and a long list of common American 

 birds, such as robins, yellow-birds, 

 red-winged blackbirds, brown 

 thrashers, cat birds, etc. The can- 

 aries alone sell for $100,000 at least, 

 while the trade in other birds brings 

 the gross sales to $250,000. This 

 represents the business done by 

 regular breeders and importers. It 

 does not include what maybe called 

 the family traffic. 



How to Preserve Birds Entire. 



The Western Oologist says: — 

 "There is much more to learn about 

 a dead bird than the skin can teach. 

 In fact there is probably more to be 

 learned from the body without the 

 skin, than the skin without the body. 

 As it is as impossible to fully dis- 

 sect a bird's body, and describe and 

 illustrate the same, as it is to descri- 

 be all your bird-skins when collect- 

 ed, why would it not be well to do 

 all this during the winter when you 

 have more time? In order to do 

 this a preparation can be made to 

 preserve all birds entire." 



Though we cannot speak from 

 personal experience we think after 

 a careful perusal of the little phamph- 

 let sent us by Mr. E. L. Brown, 

 Durand, Wis., that his method for 

 preserving and embalming is the 

 most practical way in which small 

 birds and mammals may be pres- 

 erved entire, without injuring the 

 plumage or fur. It is certainly the 

 best method that has been brought 

 to notice. For full particulars sec 

 Mr. Brown's advertisement. 



