THE OOLOGLST. 



170 



Has been known to breed nenr the small 

 lakes a few miles north of us. They have 

 been growing more and more uncommon 

 each year until now a large V is a rare 

 sight. I only saw one flock this year ('88). 

 There were thirty of them on the ground 

 in a field within a stone's throw of me : 

 probably had lost their course. 



(Jolinus rirginianua (Linn.) — Bob- white. 

 Formerly quite numerous. Hard winters 

 and the sportsman's gun have almost ex- 

 terminated them. They are more common 

 now than two years ago. 



Veophloevs pileatvs (Linn.) — Pileated 

 Woodpecker. Was once a tolerably com- 

 mon resident; the king of our Woodpeckers 

 known among the farmers as " Woodcock, " 

 "Logcock, " etc. Usually met with in 

 tamarae swamps. None have been seen 

 for a number of years. 



Corvus Americanus (Aud.) — American 

 Crow. Is undoubtedly becoming less 

 abundant each year. The long flocks, both 

 ends of which would almost be lost in the 

 distance are a thing of the past. 



The Anatinue — Kiver Ducks. During 

 the migrating season, large flocks of a 

 number of species, frequented our ponds 

 and streams and many wei'e summer 

 residents. They are very uncommon now. 



The Owls — Syrnium nebulosum (Fokst.) 

 Megascops asio (Linn.), and Bubo mrgin- 

 ianus (Gmel.) were formerly much more 

 common than now. They are driven away 

 into the most unfrequented places. Bvbo 

 is fond of chickens and for the sin of one 

 all must perish, regardless of the benefit 

 they be to the farmer both as destroyers of 

 vermin and nocturnal songsters. 



While man has been the direct cause of 

 the extermination of some of the species 

 noticed, the disappearance of some of them 

 can not be attributed to the plume-hunter, 

 the collector or the "small boy, " but is the 

 inevitable result of the march of civiliza- 

 tion, the "survival of the fittest." And 

 the stories of their great numbers will un- 

 doubtedly be regarded by the students, of 

 future generations, as the inventions of a 

 race of enthusiastic cranks. But while 

 we mottrti the loss of these interesting birds 



we can see their places taken up (not in 

 so great numbers, perhaps) by more musical 

 and more useful species. Our song birds 

 are undoubtedly increasing in numbers. 

 We now have the Orioles, Thrushes, 

 Warblers, Sparrows, Finches, Wrens and 

 Bobolink as common birds; aud we can 

 only hope that they do not go the way of 

 the birds who inhabited the ' ' forest 

 primeval " or go to make room for the 

 despised English Sparrow. 



JO. S., Waterloo. Ind. 



Davie's Egg Check List. 



Nov. 22nd, 1888. 

 Dear Sir: — ■ 



Below we print another letter from Mr. 

 Davie. We will make no more apologies or 

 new promises, as Mr. D's letter is sufficient. 

 Our past promises for the work have been 

 based on information direct from Mr. D., 

 and as an agent, we no more control the 

 publishing of the work than does the 

 reader. 



From my knowledge of the progress of 

 I the work, i think my patrons can depend 

 on receiving a copy as soon as issued. I 

 will further add that I will send 

 the Oologist for '89, gratis to every pur- 

 chaser in advance of this work. This offer 

 is made to help pay interest on the delay. 



The price of the work will doubtless be 

 increased as it will contain over 400 pages, 

 but until Feb. 1st, we will take subscriptions 

 at $1.00 per copy. 



Faithfully, FRANK H. LATTIN. 



1888. 



Columbus, Ohio, Nov. 8, 

 Dear Friend Lattin: 



I write to say that a thousand 

 and one duties involving upon me, 

 the vast amount of original matter 

 which has accumulated from all 

 sources for my book, the care and 

 time required to arrange it for the 

 press, after writing my manuscript 

 twice, has knocked the date of 

 publication "clear out of time." 

 The date, of publication now 

 will be when every dealer like 

 yourself receives a complete copy 

 of the book. 208 pages will be off 

 the press this week, and the 

 progress of printing will continue 

 without interruption. 



Yours, OLIVEB DAVIE. 



