29. 



A writer from Fiji asserts that 

 when flocks of Tern and other sea- 

 fowl rest upon the sea the water be- 

 comes smooth, an effect which he 

 ascribes to oil emitted by the birds. 



We learn through our exchanges 

 that The American Osprey and Our 

 Birds, have suspended. Failure to 

 secure second class rates is the rea- 

 son generally assigned. 



The tallest bird known to ethnol- 

 gists was- found by Professor Her- 

 bert in the lower eocene deposits 

 near Paris, France. It was over 

 twelve feet in height, and could 

 have bitten a man's head off as easily 

 as a Woodpecker can nip a cherry. 

 We cannot be too thankful that this 

 bird has gone out of fashion and ex- 

 istence. Ladies would have wanted 

 to wear it on their hats, and men 

 who sat behind such bonnets or or- 

 naments in the theatres would be 

 unable to see whether a ballet or a 

 prayer meeting were in progress on 

 the stage. 



We have received many letters of 

 inquiry, asking us if we would take 

 minerals and eggs in pay for a 

 years subscription to The Ornitho- 

 logist. We would say to those 

 desiring a years subscription and 

 not wishing to pay cash, that if 

 they will send us six correctly label- 

 ed minerals, not less than 2x2 inches, 

 or 15 cents worth of first class eggs, 

 will be given a full years subscrip- 

 tion and all the privileges of a cash 

 subscriber. We desire minerals 

 such as W. S. Beekman and L. W. 

 Stilwell deal in. See advertisements. 



F. H., Grass Lake, Mich. The 

 bird you call High-holder, is the 

 Yellow-shafted Flicker. 



All specimens received from L. 

 W. Stilwell are of the best quality. 

 The student's collection consisting 

 of 25 minerals which he sells for 

 $1.00 is verv fine. 



For The Ornithologist. 



The Cactus Wren. 



This bird is more or less abundant 

 throughout the southern portion of 

 California. And as its name imp- 

 lies is generally, if not ahvays found 

 in the immediate vicinity of patches 

 of the cactus or prickley pear, in- 

 deed so accustomed have I become 

 to this fact that when I run across 

 a stray cactus wren in my rambles, 

 I at once decide that a bed of cactus 

 is not far distant; and when I arrive 

 at a cactus bed I at once begin look- 

 ing out for the wren. Not always 

 with success however, as these wary 

 little fellows, are so shy, that they 

 will frequently jump down among 

 the growth of cactus and unobserv- 

 ed hop off to a safe distance from 

 the intruders. So expert are they 

 at this game that I have often found 

 their nests containing four or five 

 eggs still warm, showing that the 

 bird had just left her nest, but 

 never-the-less without obtaining the 

 slightest view of her. The Cactus 

 Wren commences building about the 

 first of May and eggs can be pro- 

 cured by the fifteenth of that month. 



The nest is composed of a fine 

 yellowish grass, moss, etc, and 

 generally contains a small piece of 

 snake skin. It is a neat structure 

 and, with few exceptions, is placed 

 amongst the leaves of the prickly 

 cactus, which renders its acquisition 

 a rather troublesome, not to say 

 dangerous undertaking. It is how- 

 ever worth the trouble taken to 

 secure it, for the nest alone is a 

 beautiful article of bird mechanism; 

 generally roofed over with a neat 

 little hole in the side for an entrance. 

 The eggs are also very handsome, 

 the completement generally consist- 

 ing of five beautiful reddish pink 

 eggs, about the size of a catbird's. 

 My only regret in regard to these 

 eggs, is that they do not retain the 

 brilliant, clear color exhibited when 

 first taken from the nest and blown. 



