The Hawkeve Ornithologist and Oologist. 



Mr. Hegner, of Decorah, writes us 

 that he has been studying the "ice 

 cave" of that place and intends to is- 

 sue a pamphlet next summer giving 

 measurements, currents of air, etc., — 

 also a theory more accurate than the 

 one he has already published. He 

 says: ''To tell you the truth, this the- 

 ory will unfold a marvelous cause for 

 the formation of this ice. I never 

 dreamed of the real cause until I car- 

 ried my investigations to actual ex- 

 periment. Before the appearance of 

 this theory I would be glad to give 

 you an article bringing forth the sa> 

 lent points in it." 



*K-WroEipY.v-i> 



At a public school-house near To- 

 peka. Kansas, there is a drinking cup 

 that attracts the attention of all who 

 catch a glimpse of it. The cup was 

 brought from Melbourne. Australia, 

 by an uncle of the young man who 

 teaches at the school. There are 

 many such cup* in Melbourne, where 

 they are made of emu eggs. The eggs 

 of the emu are like pebbled leather 

 and They are very strong. Being of 

 a, myrtle-green color, they are hand- 

 some objects. The ostrich eggs are 

 sometimes used for similar purposes. 

 They are like ivory, both in hard- 

 ness and in color, and weigh as much 

 as three pour Is when full. 



on some of 

 -pond with 

 the frigate 

 5 islands in 

 about sixtv 



The native clergyman 

 the Pacific is an. s cor; 

 each other by means o" 

 bird. For ii. stance, t, 

 the Ellice group are 

 miles apart, and the carrier birds are 

 very useful in bearing messages from 

 island to island. The note is usually 

 concealed in a bit of reed and tied to 

 one of the wings. In the olden times 

 pearl fish-hocks were, in this way 

 sent from one island to another. 

 During a cyclone the frigate bird 

 flies so low that it is easily knocked 

 down by a long stick. When sitting 

 on her solitary white egg the mother 

 bird will allow herself to be seized by 

 the hand. 



BIRD DISSECTION. 



d. 



O. FEATHERS. 



Note on one of the larger feath- 

 ers of the wing. 



a. The main stem, called seapu.i. 



b. The quill, or calamus, cylindri- 

 cal, translucent and hollow. 

 That portion which was im- 

 bedded in the skin, the end of 

 which is perforated as if by a 

 needle, contains a reddish puli ; 

 the opposite end being filled 

 with scales. 



e. The remainder of the scapus is 

 called the rachis. Rectangular 

 in shape, it tapers to a point. 

 The color is whitish; it is 

 opaque, and containsadry pith. 

 The slender filaments, fringing 

 a depression in the under side 

 of the scapus, where the rachis 

 and calamus meet. There is in 

 this depression another opening 

 leading into the calamus. 

 The large, flat portions of the. 

 feather, called vanes, or vexillce. 

 These are situated on the oppo- 

 site sides of the rachis. In most 

 feathers they are of the same 

 size. The vanes will be found 

 to be composed of a consider- 

 able number of 



Barbs. These are fastened to- 

 gether firmly enough to make 

 the whole vane a continuous 

 membrane. Each separate barb 

 is triangular in shape and is set 

 obliquely on the rachis with the 

 base sloping towards the cala- 

 mus. 



By examining the vane with a 

 microscope the barbulets, a num- 

 ber of thio plates on each side 

 of the barb may be seen. The 

 barbules of each barb eross ob- 



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