142 



THE OOLOGIST 



the personal collection of the late Dr. 

 William L. Ralph of Utica, N. Y., the 

 late Honorary Curator of Dept. Oology, 

 U. S. N. We do not know of many 

 sets of this rare species in collections. 

 The set mentioned came from Florida, 

 and was received as present from Dr. 

 Ralph to Mr. John W. Daniel, Jr. who 

 accompanied the Doctor on aii 

 expedition to the Great Dismal Swamp 

 after Swanison Warbler set. The ex- 

 pedition secured a nice set of this shy 

 warbler and many skins and also re- 

 observed a specimen of Bachman's 

 Warbler and one of Ward's Heron. 



The first egg of the California Vul- 

 ture we ever heard of, was in the U. 

 S. N. M. collection. Then A M. Shield 

 of Los Angeles got one, and this was 

 acquired at a high price by C. F. Mor- 

 com of Los Angeles. Then H. R. Tay- 

 lor reported several. 



The writer once had the pleasure of 

 seeing a Condor in full flight in one 

 of the Canons near Los Angeles with 

 G. F. Morcan. This was many years 

 ago. We have not heard of any been 

 taken in very recent years. We be- 

 lieve W. L. Finley of the Cooper Club 

 got one some years ago, at least he 

 got a good photograph of the egg in 

 situ and of the young. The Zoologi- 

 cal Park at Washington contained 

 two adult live Condors which nested 

 and the U. S. N. M. got an egg there- 

 by. 



Among Ornithologists whose field 

 work in tropical countries has result- 

 ed in much valuable material, there 

 are few who work indefatigably than 

 Dr. F. M. Chapman. We have had the 

 pleasure of seeing his work on "Dis- 

 tribution of Bird Life in Columbia," 

 containing several very beautiful 

 colored plates by L. A. Furtes. The 

 work is published by the American 

 Museum of Natural History, New York. 



Among other photographs there is an 

 excellent photograph showing the nest- 

 ing cavities of a species of Parrotin a 

 group of wax palms. W. W. Brown 

 ranks in the lead of tropical collect- 

 ors of birds. His skins are prepared 

 with a beauty of individuality that 

 characterizes few present day results 

 of the tropical field work where there 

 are many disadvantages. C. W. Rich- 

 mond, the Honorary Curator of Birds, 

 National Mseum, who once collected 

 in Nicaragua, likewise makes what 

 might be termed a perfect bird skin, 

 and so does Mr. W. Palmer, but the 

 general run of bird skins falls far 

 short of this ideal. Dr. Brown, Dr. 

 Nelson E. W. Goldman, Q. E. Colburn 

 and others who collected in Mexico, 

 probably find their field closed for the 

 present owing to the political situation 

 but we believe that ornithologists can 

 cope with any danger because they 

 posess the needful tact and discretion 

 and are suave and taciturn in their 

 dealings with cambrous conditions or 

 ireful natives. 



In Augusta County, Virginia, season 

 1919, the writer has observed a 

 practically White Robin (Planesticus 

 Imgratorius). The under parts are 

 white and there are several white 

 retrices and wing feathers. Even in 

 his climate which is cold, the writer 

 noticed a nearly full fledged Robin on 

 the 15th of May. How do Robins get 

 their young to the ground from great 

 heights? A Robin has a nest in an 

 opening on the face of a hospital build- 

 ing at least 60 or 70 feet up. The 

 young leave their nest or are taken 

 out before they are able to fly. The 

 distance from the nest to the ground 

 is such that the drop would prove 

 fatal. It is a well authenticated fact 

 that the Wood Duck takes her fledg- 

 ings down from the cavity by their 

 backs, but I have never witnessed it. 

 Mr. H. H. White of this locality, West- 



