The OoLOGiST. 



VOL. XIX. NO. 1. 



ALBION. N. Y., JANUARY, 1903. 



Whole No. 184 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Publication Devoted to 



OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND 

 TAXIDERMY. 



FRANK H. LATTIN, Editor and Publisher, 

 ALBION, N. Y. 

 Correspondence and Items of Interest to the 

 student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited 

 from all. 



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ENTERED AT P. O., ALBION. N. Y. AS SECOND- CLASS MATTER. 



A Novice's Note-Book. * 



Feb. 22, 1881. Saw two Robins in 

 town, the first cf ttie season. They 

 were singing in the top of a maple tree. 

 Morning warm and bright. 



Feb. 23. Cold and frozen up, Elev- 



en Geese (Canada) flew over, rather 

 high, going northward, in the morning. 



Feb. 24. Evening clear and warm. 

 Three Gaese flew over, going south- 

 ward, rather low 



Feb. 25. Morning warm and bright. 



* Accompanying "A Novice's Note-book" 

 was a personal letter from the writer, Prof. P. 

 M. Silloway, of Lewiston, Mont., which we 

 deem of sufficient Interest and value to print 

 in full: -r ^ ^ 



"In looking over my old note-books, I find 

 that my observations began with the spring of 

 1881, at which time I was not eighteen years 

 old. I have thought that some of your readers 

 maybe interested in a 'Novice's Note-bqok;' 

 not that the notes are of great value now, but 

 as expressions of a boyish longing to come in- 

 to touch with the great avian family. As I 

 remember now. my only work on identification 

 was 'Tenney's Manual of Zoology ;' however, I 

 had access to the American Cyclopedia, 

 through the kindness of an elderly friend, and 

 I found it extremely helpful. If you think it 

 worth while, I shall be glad to send you these 

 notes, copying them just as they are written 

 in my inexperienced Style, mistakes in identi- 

 fication being subject to my own comment. 

 Readers of today should remember that the 

 boy of twenty years ago did not have access 

 to 'Davie's Nests and iSggs,' and other valu- 

 able helps; we older oologists just 'growed up, 

 and our notes of those primitive days show 

 many signs of immaturity. But we grew, 

 slowly though it may be, and I trust that if the 

 publication of thf'se notes continues, they will 

 finally show evidences of more mature train- 

 ing in. observation and expression. 



"The field of my earliest ornithological ob- 

 servations was centered at Virden, 111., near 

 the northern line of Macoupin county. About 

 two miles north of the town, ran a little creek, 

 well wooded along its course until the timber 

 was destroyed by the advance of civilization. 

 This creek is called Sugar Creek, and figures in 

 the notes as 'the creek' or 'Sugar Creek. 

 Northwest of the town, distant about a mile 

 and a half, was a large reservoir constructed 

 by a railroad entering the town, which is 

 frequently mentioned In the notes as 'the 

 pond.' or 'Crane's pond.' Otherwise the vicin- 

 ity of the town is gently rolling, cultivated 

 prairie. I ought to state that the creek and 

 woods mentioned are in the southern end of 

 Sangamon county ,, ^ ^ 



"Now, friend Lattin, you will understand 

 that my only motive in sending you these 

 notes is the thought that they may be helpful to 

 some reader of the OOLOGfST. I believe that 

 our notes ought to be aired. These form the 

 record of an oologieal experience which ha.? 

 been pleasant to the writer, and which I trust 

 has been not altogether unhelpful to kindred 

 minds. Caution your readers that the notes 

 are not always reliable because of boyish in- 

 experience; but the bushel of chaff may con- 

 tain some grains of good." 



