The Oologist. 



Vol. XXII. No. 9. 



Albion, N. Y., September, 1905. 



Whole No. 218 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Publication Devoted to 



OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXT- 



DEEMY. 



FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, 



ALBION, N. Y, 



ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. 



Correspondence and items of interest to the 

 student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited 

 from all. 



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ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. 

 Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 



Editorials. 



In last issue (Vol. I, No. 3) of the 

 "Warbler" appears among other good 

 things an account of the nesting of the 

 Passenger Pigeon near Minneapolis in 

 1890 by W. Otto Emerson. 



This brings authentic collecting of 

 the eggs of this species clown to a much 

 later date than I have seen recorded. 



The set, like all authentic records I 

 have investigated, consisted oi one egg. 



On page 59 Penn. Bulletin Div. of 

 Zoology Vol. Ill, No. 2, I notice as 

 follows: "We should hesitate to 

 recommend the destruction of skunks 

 as these animals are known to be among 

 the most valuable of our insectivorous 

 creatures and are certainly the most 

 valuable fur-bearing mammal in the 

 State." 



The editor of the Oologist began on 

 skunks with a steel trap when he was 

 a boy of less than 14 years and he has 

 been studying skunks from various 

 points of view ever since. 



Inevitably he has arrived at a few 

 conclusions. 



Unquestionably the skunk is insecti- 

 vorous but they are also practically 

 omnivorous along the line of animal 

 matter. The greatest point I find to 

 their credit is the number of young 

 field mice (meadow voles) that they 

 dig out of the nests and devour. If it 

 were not for one characteristic this 

 alone would turn the balance in their 

 favor. 



In the spring and summer the skunk 

 is a light feeder. They wander but 

 short distances from their home bur- 

 row and get along with a minimum of 

 effort and food. While this period 

 lasts they destroy birds' nests, mouse 

 nests, etc., including young chickens 

 if located in the near vicinity of their 

 home but they do not as a rule attract 

 much attention by their depredations 

 until along in September when cool 



