206 



THE OOLOGISf 



me not alone of crime but also of stu- 

 pidity. For, search as I would, I 

 could not find another nest, although 

 I was absolutely certain there were 

 others in the neighborhood. 



They made it so uncomfortably for 

 me that for a time I avoided them al- 

 together, so far as I could. But one 

 day, when I was strolling along a 

 country road, fully one-half a mile 

 from where any self-respecting Kill- 

 deer would take up his abode, I was 

 startled by the old familiar cry coming 

 over the meadows. Soon one of my 

 unrelenting enemies was over my 

 head, screaming at the top of his 

 voice, "Egg-stealer! Egg-stealer, Egg- 

 stealer!" (Some would say it was 

 "Killdeer, Killdeer, Killdeer, but I 

 know better), I knew he had come 

 from the slough a long distance off, 

 and then it was I swore out my ven- 

 detta, and planned to circumvent my 

 relentless enemies. 



You remember I spoke of some 

 speckled pebbles that surrounded the 

 eggs I had so uncermoniously tre- 

 phined. Thence came the inspiration. 

 I then and there swore deeply that 

 when the next nesting season should 

 come around I would hunt up all the 

 stones I could find, and would plant 

 them in groups in promising spots in 

 the Killdeer habitat, carefully mark- 

 ing each location. And so surely as 

 I find one of my traditional enemies 

 nesting in such location, I shall take 

 steps to protect her from chance 

 marauders, so that I may have my re- 

 venge. And for that revenge I have 

 planned to go up there and throw 

 angle-worms at Mrs. Killdeer when- 

 ever I happen to feel like it, even 

 though she be right on the nest at the 

 time. 



Worth in search of Humming Birds' 

 nests. When we would see a bird we 

 would watch it because that was the 

 only satisfactory way to find their 

 nests. A Hummer came buzzing by and 

 lit in a dead tree. They usually build in 

 dead trees or dead branches around 

 here, so we watched it. In a few 

 minutes another Hummer appeared 

 and went to pumping food into the 

 one that we were watching. Then the 

 mother bird flew to another part of the 

 tree and lit by another young bird. 

 We laughed, because it was a joke on 

 us, watching a young bird expecting it 

 to go to a nest. These young were as 

 big as any Hummer I ever saw and 

 was still depending on the old birds for 

 food. 



Ramon Graham. 



Kill 4397 Cats. 



Los Angeles, July 20. — Conservation 

 may be the reason for destruction of 

 4397 cats in Los Angeles during the 

 past year. Obversely 15,603 dogs were 

 licensed in the same period. The 

 figures are taken from the annual sta- 

 tistical report of the Humane Animal 

 commission, which reveals a useful 

 record of productive work accom- 

 plished. Nearly 5,000 "large animals" 

 have been examined, and 79 convic- 

 tions for cruelty to animals obtained 

 out of 84 arrests made. The financial 

 statement shows a net balance of 

 $166,664.36.— San Jose Mercury.— W. 

 A. Strong, San Jose, Cal. 



Humming Bird Joke 



In April Jake Zeitlin and myself 

 were scouting along the banks of Lake 



Bird Day. 



May 4 is official bird day, and it is 

 the one hundred and thirty-sixth an- 

 niversary of the birth of John J. Audu- 

 bon, who is best known as a studen 

 and lover of birds. He said the song 

 of the Wood Thrush moved him to 

 prayer. — W. A. Strong, San Jose, Cal. 



