The Oologist. 





\'0L. XXXrV. No. 8 Albeon, N. Y., '.l 



\ 15, 1917. Whole No. 861 





Owned and Published Monthly, by R. M. Barnes, 



Albion, N. Y., and Lacon, III. 



'^OOLOGY OF ILLINOIS" 



Through the courtesy of Mr. A. N. 

 Candell, to whom was bequeathed by 

 the author a copy of this rare and un- 

 usual publication, we have had the 

 pleasure to examine one of the two 

 known copies of this most interesting 

 item. 



The title page is as follows: 

 "Oology of Illinois; By an Amateur 

 Naturalist; Printed by D. W. Coquil- 

 lett,; Woodstock, Illinois,; 1876. 



The author, Mr. Coquillett in his 

 Preface states "In the following pages 

 the author lias endeavored to des- 

 cribe the nests and eggs of some of 

 the birds of Northern Illinois. Every- 

 thing printed therein can be relied 

 upon as being true. This work will 

 give you a slight insight into the 

 study of ornithology, a study in 

 which every farmer ought to be well 

 versed. He ought to be able to dis- 

 tinguish beneficial from injurious 

 birds, that he may protect the former 

 and destroy the latter. His knowl- 

 edge of Natural History ought not to 

 be confined to the study of birds; he 

 ought to be able to distinguish injur- 

 ious insects, quadrupeds, etc. from 

 those that are beneficial and worthy 

 of his protection. Some birds rear 

 only one, some two, and others three 

 broods in one season. The second 

 litter of eggs is laid about 40 days 

 after the first. The greatest number 



of birds build their nests in the vi- 

 cinity of cultivated farms; a few how- 

 ever, build their nests and rear their 

 young in the deep forest. - - - Oology 

 is that branch of Ornithology whicli 

 treats of the eggs of birds." 



Then follows a review of the King- 

 bird, Pewee, Robin, Bluebird, Scarlet 

 Tanager, Barn Swallow, Martin, Cat- 

 bird, Brown Thrush, Red-winged 

 Blackbird, Meadowlark, Bluejay, 

 Dove, Killdeer, and Plover in which 

 the general habits of these birds as 

 k) nesting and a description of their 

 eggs, together with measurements are 

 given, occupying pp. 5-17. 



Next is a table "Classification of 

 birds" occupying pp. 18-32. 



Then under the heading "Re-appear- 

 ance of birds" pp. 33-36 is a table giv- 

 ing the dates for the years 1873-4-5 on 

 which the birds appear from their 

 southern migration and on which the 

 nests of the bird were found, presum- 

 ably the dates of first arrival and first 

 discovery of nests. This table in- 

 cludes 'Blackbirds, Duck, Meadow- 

 lark, Bluebird, Killdeer, Robin, Dove, 

 Pewee, Oatbird, Shrike, Highholers, 

 Martin, Plover, Kingfisher, Heron, 

 Red-headed Woodpecker, Greek Bird, 

 Barn Swallow, Brown Thrush, Golden 

 Robin, Whip-poor-will, Kingbird, Bob- 

 o-link, Nighthawk, Catbird and Blue- 

 jay." 



Taken all in all, this little pamph- 



