20. 



11 «M««. 



A Monthly paper of Natural History. 



Especially devoted to the study of Birds, their 

 nests and habits. 



Edited by C= L. McCOLLUM, 



TWIN BLUFFS, WIS^^ 



Correspondence and items of interest relating 

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NOTES. 



The specific gravity of a fresh 

 laid egg is between 1.0784 and 1,0492. 

 Older ones are less. 



"Live" ostrich feathers repel sand, 

 and the dealer's test is to rub the 

 suspicious feathers over loose sand. 



From a western paper we find 

 that a goose egg weighing ten ounces 

 has been on exhibition at Vallejo, 

 Cal. 



Every Collector should have 

 in his cabinet a specimen of the 

 Arizona silicified wood, both the 

 plain, and the polished. It is the 

 prettiest thing in the mineral line. 

 No agate can boast of the brilliant 

 hues this wood possesses. The sil- 

 icification must have been a sudden 

 phenomena, as the natural juices of 

 the woods seem to have aided in the 

 production of the numerous shades. 

 Some of the reds, and yellows, are 

 very intense, and f requntly over 8 

 shades can be found in one piece. 

 W. S. Beekman, 



West Medford, Mass. 



In some parts of the state of Cali- 

 fornia the Humming-birds are very 

 numerous, and, on sunny days, may 

 be seen in all of their tropical splen- 

 der, buzzing about among the flowers 

 in search of their food. The nest of 

 the Humming-bird is nearly as 

 beautiful as the bird itself, and dis- 

 plays an amount of exquisite work- 

 manship that would seem well cal- 

 culated to put to shame the owners 

 of more rudely constructed nests. 

 The dainty little hummer usually 

 places its nest on a small limb or 

 twig somewhere between eight or 

 twelve feet from the ground, al- 

 though I have known eccentric mem- 

 bers of the humming-bird family to 

 construct their downy little homes 

 as high as twenty and even as low 

 as five feet above the ground. In 

 my locality they seem to consider 

 one tree as good as another when 

 building their nests; I have found 

 them in the eucalyptus, live-oak, 

 Cyprus, pine, and various fruit trees. 

 About the best way to discover them 

 is to patiently watch a femaje bird 

 until she goes to her nest. This re- 

 quires sharp eyes and not a little 

 patience, as the bird you have your 

 eyes on may have its nest at a dis- 

 tance, or have none at all. — H. It. 

 Taylor in Yoxtng Oologist. 



OUR TABLE. 



Our limited space will not allow 

 us to notice each publication separ- 

 ately, but the publishers, all have 

 our most hearty thanks and best 

 wishes. 



The Museum, published in the in- 

 terests of the Young Naturalists and 

 Collectors, of all classes, is a highly 

 creditable journal, from 1220 San- 

 son! street Phila., at $1.50 per year. 



The Oologisfs Directory, a 36 

 page, 8 vo, is bound in Japanese 

 antique cover, and costains the names 

 of over 400 N. A. Collectors. 



