Oct. 4, 1883.^ 



FOREST AND STREAM, 



188 



Jfr///f*/ §i$torg. 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGISTS' UNION. 



ON Wednesday, the 26tb of September, about twenty of 

 noat prominent ornithologists of the United 

 Si ite: and Canada, assembled in t.ln- lahran of the American 

 Museum oi Natural Histon at Central Park.Xeu York, and 

 founded an Organization to be known as The American Orni- 

 thologists' Fnion. A constitution wrta adopted and officera 

 were elected as f< ill 



President, Mr. J. A. Allen. 



Vice-Presidents. Dr. Elliot I Codes id i Robert Ridg- 

 way. 



Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. 0, ffart Merriam. 



The founders of fhc Union aire: 



J. A. Allen, Cambridge. Mass.; C. Aldvieh, Iowa; Prof. 

 S. F. Baird, Washington, 1). C. : 11. B. Bailey, New York; 



C. F. Batchclder, Cambridge, Mass.; Cap). C. E. Bendire. 

 U. 5. A.; E.P. Bieknell. Kiverdale. K. Y ; Wm. Brewster. 

 Cambridge, Mass.; Natban Clifford Brown, Portland, Me-; 

 Montague Chamberlain. SI. John. X. B. : ('has. B. Cory. 

 Boston Mii'tt {'om>. Washington. I». ('.; D. G-. 

 EUiotl. Staten Island. X. Y.: Or. A. K. Fisher. Sing Sing, 

 X. Y. . Dr. .1. B. Holder, New York; Thomas Mollwraith, 

 Hamilton, Canada; Dr. Edgar A. Meatus, Highland Falls, 

 i\*. Y. ; Or. C. Hurl Mcrnam. Locust Grove. X. Y.: Or. D. 

 W. Prentiss. Washington, O. C.;H. A. Purdie. Xewton. 

 Mass.; Robert Kktewav. Washington. 1), C. : Dr. R. W. 

 Shufeldt, Medical Department C. S. A.: Dr. J. M. Wheaton, 

 Columbus, O, 



The tir-t congress of the Union continued for three days, 

 adjourning at •> P M. Sept. 38. The constitution states licit: 

 "-The Union Shall Consist of Active, Foreign. Corresponding 

 and Associate members. Active members shall be residents 

 Of tbc Halted States or Canada, and shall be limited to fifty 

 (50) in number. Foreign members shall be non-residents of 

 the piaited Stales or Canada,, and shall be limited to twenty- 

 live (25) in number. Corresponding members may be natives 

 country, and shall be limited to one hundred 1 100) in 



i i A nciato members shiill be residents of the United 



States or Canada, and shall not be limited in number." 



The organization is intended i" be a somewhat exclusive 

 body, and the position of Active membership is the. highest 

 honor to which an American ornithologist can attain. The 

 isso Lte members are selected from the large amateur ele- 

 ment, represented in ail parts of North America, and consti- 

 tute the body t. om which Aclive members are hereafter to 

 paen. 



In addition to the founders already mentioned the follow- 

 ing named gentlemen were elected to Active membership: 

 W\ B. Barrows, Prof. F. K. C. Beal. L. Belding, J. S. 

 Cooper, Ruthveu Deane, S. A. Forbes. Prof- Theo. X. Gill, 

 Col. X. S. Goss. Geo. Bird Grinnell, II. W. Henshaw, J. 

 Amory Jeffries. F. S. King, .1. K. Kidder. Dr. F. W. Lang- 

 don, Geo. X. Lawrence. Xeivbold T. Lawrence, Or. J. C. 

 Merrill (U. S. A. ), K. W. Xelson. Mr. Xehrling, T. S. Rob- 

 erts. J. H. Snge,,W. E. Saunders, G. B. Senuett and W. F. 



D. Scott. 



The Council of the Union consists of the officers. r.r-a]i-io. 

 and of Prof. S. F. Baird, Mr. G. X. Lawrence. Mr. William 

 Brewsier. Mr. il. YV. Hsusbaw and Mr. Montague Chamber- 

 lain 



Six committees were appointed as follows: 

 ii. The Classification and Nomenclature of North Ameri- 

 can Birds: Messts, Kidgwav. Allen, Brewster, Henshaw. 

 Coues. 



5, The Migration of Birds: Messrs. Merriam, Brown, 

 Purdie, Wheaton. Chamberlain, Grinnell. Henshaw Cory, 

 Merrill, Fisher. Mearus, Meilwraith. 



e. Avian Anatomy: Messrs. Shufeldt, Merriam, Jeffries* 

 Coues. 



d. Oology: Messrs. Bendire. Daily. Brewster. Ridgway, 

 Merrill. 



6. Fauual Areas: Messrs .Mien, Kidgway, Bieknell, Mer- 

 riam, Fisher, Mearns. 



/. Eligibility or Ineligibility of the English House Spar- 

 row in North America: Messrs. Holder, Purdie. Chamber- 

 lain, Brown, Bieknell. 



The following-named eminent naturalists were elected to 

 the high position of Foreign membership: T. H. Huxlev, 

 Alfred Russell Wallace, W. [v. Parker, J. B. Barboza du 

 Bocaa-e, HeurvE. Dresser, Otto Finsch, II. H. Gisrlioli, Gus- 

 lav Harllaub. Allen O. Hume. Alfred Newton, August von 

 Pelzeln. Tomrnaso Saivadori. Osbert Salvin, P. L. 8clater, 

 R, B.Sharp, John Gurney, St., John Guudlach, H. Schlegel, 

 J. Cabanis, Dr. Frau>'e, Alphonse Milne-Edwards. 



About tweuly Corresponding and eighty Associate mem- 

 bers were also elected. 



It was evident from the first that this convention was not 

 called in the interest of any faction, and the harmony and 

 evident good will that characterized all its actions and'delib- 



88 proved the unity of purpose of its founders. 



While the revision of the classiiieation and nomenclature 

 Of North American birds is one of the avowed objects of the 

 organization, it is equally certain that much other good will 

 be accomplished by it. Indeed, it is safe to say that the 

 founding of the American Ornithologists' Union 'marks the 

 beginning of a new era in the progress of ornithology in this 

 country, and that it will give an impetus to this science such 

 as it his not received since the publication of Baird's great 

 work in 1859. 



LIST OF OORRESPQKDENG MEMBERS. 



Count von Berlepsch, Mnnden. Germany; Prof. J. A. 

 Palnien: Waller Buller, New Zealand: Cnpt. Blatiston, 

 Japan; Pryor, .Japan; Percy Freke, Rose Mount Dun- 

 drum, county Dublin. Ireland; j. Douglas Ogilhv, Ireland; 

 J. J. Dalgleish; J Harvie Browu ; Henry T. Wharton, Eng- 

 land; Henry Seebohm. London: Robert Collctt, Howard 

 Saunders: F. Buchan Gooman; John Gurney, Jr. : J. E. 

 Harting: Pere A. David; Dr. E. Oustalet, Jyrdi'u des Plantes, 

 Paris; Grandidier; stejueger. 



list OB associate MEMBERS. 



Dr. C. C. Abbott, Trenton, X. J.: 0. E. Aiken. Colorado 

 Springs. Col.; C. A. Alien. Nicosio, Cal.; G. S Agersbdrg 

 Vermillion, Dak.: Dr. II. A. Atkins. Locke Mich 



Egbert Bagg, Jr., Utica; Dr, Tarllon H. Bean. Wasbing- 

 ton; C. W. Beckham, South Pueblo, jQsJ, \ Franklin Benner 

 Minneapolis! G. A. Boardman. Calais, >le; F G. Browne] 

 Framinghani, Mass.; D. S. Bryant, San Piaueiseo. Cal. : W. 



E. Bryant, San Francisco, CM. , W. A. Brodie, X \Y X.- 

 John Burroughs, Esopus. \ V. 



A. P. Chadbouine, Ibookline. Mass.; IF K.Coale, Chi- 

 cago, 111. j Wm. Conner, Montreal; A. P.. Covert, Cadillac 

 Mich.: W. W. Coe, Portland, Conn. 



W. H Dal). Washington; Wm Dufcher. Xow York; J. 



Dwight, Jr., Xew York. 



W. If. Elliott, Washington: B. \Y Evennan. Blooming- 

 ton, lnd. 



\V. H. Fisher, Cincinnati, 0.; X. A. Francis. Brookline, 

 Mass,; L. S, Foster. New York: W. II. Fox. Washington, 

 D. C. 



\.\ H. Greig, Eimira, X. V. : M. B.Grifflnf, Shelter Island. 

 X. Y.j Dr. .1. B. Gilpin, Halifax: B. F. Goss. Pewaukee, 

 Wis. 



Prof. C. E. Hamlin, Cambridge. Mass.: John L. Hayes. 

 Cambridge, Mass.; Dr, P. B. Hoy, Racine. Wis.; Romcyn 

 B. Hough, Lowville, N. Y. : Maiiley Hardy. Brewer. Me.; 

 Richard H. Holdcn: Snowden Howland, Newport, R. I.; 

 G. Hotterhoff, Jr., California. 



W. A. Jeffries. Boston, Mass. ; F. T. .Icrieks, Providence, 

 R. I. : Jewev. Smithsonian: Dr. Howard Jones, ( ircleville, O. 



F. II. Knolfon. Middleburv, Vt. ; T. Kumlien, Albion. 

 Wis.; F. Kumlien, Madison. Wis. 



J. M. Le Moine, Quebec; Rev. J. H. Lantrille, Knowles- 

 itlc, X*. Y.; R. B. Lawrence. N. Y. ; L. M. Loomis, Ches- 

 ter. S. C. 



Prof. . J. M'.ieoun, Belleville. Ont.: H. D. Minot, Boston, 

 Mass.; C. J. Maynard. Boston, Mass.; Harry Merrill, Ban- 

 gor. Me.: J. A. Morden, Hyde Park. Ont.: John Mtirdock, 

 Roxbury, Mass. 



C. C. Nutting, Carlinville, 111. 



F. A. Olier. Beverlv. Mass. ; S. 1 1. Osborne, X. Y. 



R. F. Pearsall, X. V. 



Edgar R. Quick. Brookvillc. lnd. 



F. R. Rathlmn, Auburn. N. Y. 



W. L. Scott, Ottawa. Can.; E. K. T. Selou. Manitoba: 

 Elisha. Slade, Somerset. Mass. ; E. A. Small. Hageistown, 

 Aid.; Dr. Erwin 1. Shores, West Bridgewater, Mass.; Ever- 

 ett Smith, Portland. Me.; Prof. F. H. Snow. Lawrence. 

 Kan.; Dr. T. X. Streets. U. S. X'.; H. AL Spelman. Cam- 

 bridge, Mass.; Prof. J. Y. Stanton, Lewiston, Ale.; F. Ste- 

 phens, San Bernardino, Cal, 



Bradford Tony. Boston, Mass.: C. II. Townsend, Phila- 

 delphia. Pa. 



J. W. Velic, Chicago, 111.; II. G. Yennor, Montreal. 



R. S. Williams, Gold Run. Montana; Otto Widmann, St. 

 Louis; 8. W. Willard, West Depere, Wis.; J. M. Wade. 

 Bastou. Mass.; R. K. Winslow, Cleveland. Ohio; Dr. Wm. 

 Wood, East Windsor Hill. Conn.; F. S. Wright. Auburn. 

 X. Y. 



Or. H. C. Yarrow, Washington. 



Louis A. Zerega, X Y. 



The Mad Stone. —Marietta. Ga,, Sept. 26.— As the so- 

 called 4 'mad stone" is generally believed in, in thissection of 

 country, so that many persons might he induced to trust to 

 its virtues and neglect other precautions, it may be worth 

 while, for Forest and Stream io publish the inclosed slip 

 taken from the Atlanta (Ga.) (.'ii;xtititti<m. giving an account 

 of the scientific examination of two of ihese stories. — S. C. C. 

 The writer of the slip inclosed is a physician who says: 

 "I most respectfully differ from a naval many persons as* to 

 the so-called action of tins stone, in extracting the poison 

 En i persons having been bitten either by snakes or dogs 

 said to be affected by hydrophobia. These'stones called mud 

 stone- are nothing more or less than a concretion found in 

 the stomachs of deers which has been carefully analyzed by 

 scientific men of the highest attainments. The said* stones 

 or concretions are composed f phosphate and carbonate of 

 lime and iron and silix or silica, havinc no direct uorindirect 

 affinity for extracting poison. Afev. years ago Prof. Holmes, 

 Of South Carolina, a noted scientist, in the presence of inter- 

 esieo pari ; e-. , ..nfully and absolutely demonstrated the truth 

 and virtue of this so-called mad stone to be mythical, better 

 known as bezoar, being a Persian name derived from the 

 word pa-zahar, which signifies against poison, and no work 

 of ancient or modern on this subject differs. They all agree 

 that the mad stone is nothing but the concretion fouudin the 

 .deer, having no medicinal virtues. 7 ' The dissection of the 

 stone alluded to was described at, the time as follows: "The 

 specimen exhibited en this occasion is about the size of a 

 large egg of the domestic fowl, of a mottled yellow color, 

 with a tint of brown, having its entire surface highly 

 polished The polish is natural, caused by the action of the 

 muscles of Ihe siomaeh of the animal upon each 1 aver of 

 mineral matter deposited. With a very fine and highly 

 tempered saw il was carefully cut longitudinally through 

 the middle. Upon opening the bezoar, the nucleus proved 

 to be a large and perfect acorn: which several gentlemen 

 present immediately recognized as that of the white oak 

 {Quercua alba, L. i. It was covered by lour layers of lamina; 

 Of a mineral substance, composed generally of phosphates, 

 and carbonate of lime and iron, and some silex. The mould 

 of the acorn is very perfect, having all the external markings 

 of the fruit. There are two impressions, apparently made 

 by the teeth of the animal before swallowing the mit/Acoms 

 are favorite food ol Carolina deer. During the autumnal 

 months their tracks are almost always to be found under the 

 oaks of the forest which have borne acorns. This is the 

 third specimen of the beaoar thai has been cut and examined 

 by Prof. Holmes, and we believe the only ones ever dissected 

 in America. The nucleus found in the first bezoar was a 

 flattened ball or buckshot with u fragment of the skin and a 

 few hairs; the animal had undoubtedly been wounded about 

 six years before it was killed, as there were six layers of 

 laminae of mineral matter surrounding the buckshot. The 

 second bezoar cut contained a pebble of quartz." 



The Rattlesnake Xeak Boston.— There is now on 

 exhibition in the window of a jeweler's shop in Boston a 

 mounted rattlesnake, which attracts much notice because ot 

 its unusual size, and also from the fact that this reptile was 

 killed at the Blue Hills in Milton, only four or five miles dis- 

 tant from the city . This specimen is one of more than a 

 dozen .-aid to have been killed on one farm the present sea- 

 son. At the time of his capture the fellow had evidently 

 appeased the cravings of hunger with a rabbit and a frog. 

 It is singular that in a neighborhood so frequently visited, a 

 venomous reptile should escape detection until he" had grown 

 to his full size - -C. 



An Ornithologist's Si.enc— Brooklyn, Sept. 21.— I have 

 invented an elastic sling With a pistol grip, which has sev- 

 eral limes contested favorably with the bow and arrow. It 

 is about seven inches long by four inches wide, and weighs 

 about five ounces. The skillful use of this weapon (anti- 

 bow) is so easily learned, that it surprises me that it is not 

 used in the place of the bow. One of these anti-bows will 

 send a Xo. 3 buckshot 400 yards (measured on a target range 

 I for Winchester rifles), about as far OS an arrow has ever been 



shot from a bow. 1 have killed three bats in succession at 

 dusk while they were flying swiftly, not going more than a 

 rod at any lime before turning off' in a sharp angle. This 

 irregular fljghl rendered them very difficult targets to hit, 

 and taking aim and shooting were almost instantaneous. I 

 have obtained 190 species ol biros with the anti-bow. includ- 

 ing besides iusessores, partridges, quail and duck, and sev 

 cval snipe and woodcock, —Asm-Bow . 



t'i 'ati, Bred i 

 8».— While on a \ 



quail that had elc\ 

 been hatched and 

 i feet and one fool 

 another pair 

 made any off* 



Coni'-inemi.;kt.— Savannah. Ga., Sepl. 

 visit to Jacksonville. Fla.. I saw a pair of 

 veil young quad about half "Town that had 

 raised in a common shoe box (about 2 hy 

 it high), with wire netting in front; also 

 I had laid forty-seven eggs, but had not 

 Set, These quail are in Mr. John B. 

 Tagni's, He had given some of these egirs to a friend to 

 try to hatch them under a hen. The young quail seemed to 

 be quite healthy, and would come to the wires and eat out of 

 the hand. It is the first time I have seen quail raised in a 

 cage— G. X. 



%mnt §ug ni\d §nti. 



ad to receive forpub- 

 orts as may be ofhetp 



WiU not. our rorre- 



to the reader. 

 spandents fa 



To insure prompt attention, cammirnirations should be ad- 

 dressed to the Forest read Stream PiiliHshini/ Co.. and not to 

 indiridiirils, in whose, absence from the office matters of im- 

 portance are Halite to delay. 



OPEN SEASONS. 

 The digest or open seasons, printed in our issue of Aug. tii, has 

 beau published in convenient pamphlet form, and will be sent to any 

 address, postpaid, on receipt of 10 cents. 



SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT WINTER. 



BIT few sportsmen are willing to leave in winter a com- 

 fortable home to exchange it for a camp in the woods — 

 those woods where deer and caribou abound. And vet how 

 gladly would they in future devote from two to four weeks 

 every winter in pursuit of a sport, a mere taste of which 

 would be recompense enough for even greater privations, 

 would they but rid them® Iveeof existing prejudice, and 

 believe that such atrip i- by no means a succession of hard- 

 ships and bitter disappointments, and could they but be per- 



suaded that wino.-i i- -, -inary ' -ea-ou after all in which 



to stay in the woods, and that if properly equipped, sports- 

 men are as comfortable then us at any' other time. Only 

 those of my friends can understand my' statement who. like 

 myself, have more than once tried the experiment, and who 

 know of the joys in stoic for enthusiastic sportsmen among 

 the snow-covered bills, and who admire nature's beauty" 

 never more grand than at that time. Such men look upon 

 a few discomforts a- stepping stone- to keen enjoyment, 

 and sport in its trie St -use. To look al the end of' Xovoin- 

 ber or in December from a comfortable easy chair, with his 

 feet toastim; over Ihe register, upon Ihe winter landscape, 

 when the cold blasts are striking againsl ihe window, would 

 make the unexperienced shiver at the idea of camping out in 

 the snow without al! those eonilort- that surround him, and 

 upon which he has accustomed himself to look as indispens- 

 able necessities. The idea, of spending those winter nights, 

 that begin so early, in the open air, appears more of an 

 undertaking than it proves to be. 



'Of course, in advocating such a trip I am addressing 

 sportsmen who have not tried such a trip as I am talking 

 about, simply because tin , ihin\- the game is not worth the 

 powder, but are willing to sacrifice a little comfort for the 

 sake of sport, and who ,-ue familiar enough with life in the 

 woods to know that at no time it i> not full of little dis- 

 comforts, aud that they have to deny themselves many things 

 the_y are accustomed to have. To those that know all thisTa 

 lean-to. be it made of boughs or canvas, will be a suffi- 

 cient aud satisfactory shelter, a bed of houghs and a blanket, 

 a comfortable berth aud a warm fire, whose full heat will 

 strike under the lean-to, will furnish all the warmth they 

 can bear. If well made, of paitly dry wood and partly 

 green hard wood logs, the tire will keep all nis,ht, and you 

 will awaken in the morning and confess to yourself that on 

 the whole, you could not have slept better, ifs*owell, at home. 

 You will hurry your breakfast, put your dinner in your 

 pocket, and start for your day's work, the work so ilearlv 

 loved by those who know its fascination. 



Tou'waik without difficulty through the light snow, at 

 that time hardly ever over six inches deep, eager to strike a 

 track, and the larger the distance grows between vou and 

 your camp the more elos.ly you watch the ground— you 

 must strike a track soon. At last your eyes fall uponthe 

 weiconie imprint, eagerly you stoop over it to examine its 

 freshness. Instantly you have pulled your handout of its 

 glove, and your linger is feeling whether a night's frost has 

 hardened the trodden snow, li is soft, and vou know then 

 that the track is fresh 



In a i-i are up from the ground, your ears this 



instant have doubled their power, your eyes could penetrate 

 the very trunks about you. Xot the slightest quiver of a 

 trembling limb would escape your notice, vour very muscles 

 tighten, every moment may bring yon in sight of your prey, 

 that, perhaps, a few moments ago 'only left the irnijrints you 

 now follow, bad you but then been' behind yonder birch 

 tree: This ,,-,a- v jnomenl a fallen log. a bush. 'a swelling c 

 the ground may be all that bides 'he object of your ambition 

 from your view, and all this shoots at once through your 

 brain and doubles your caution. One rash movement, a 

 careless step, the rustling of your sleeve against a frozen 

 twig or the fall of snow from a limb that vou accidcntallv 

 touch, may betray your presence. For the cunning child o'f 

 the woods that you pursue is born with the sharpest organs 

 to defend its life. Only with its own weapons can you con- 

 quer this swill and cunning prey. At last you tee, 

 ceeded : your patiem our caution, your skill arc re- 

 warded, and before the report of your rifle has died among 

 the hills, before the little blue cloud arising from it has fairly 

 scattered, you will agree with me that there is no sport more 

 exciting while il lasts, nor any other so gratifying if you 

 succeed. Compare this sport with hounding 'deer, with 

 hunting deer by water or with lights, compare it with I he 

 undignified and" unmanly way of butchering 

 ing-, compare it with moose culling or even with stalking 

 deer in the early season, when you have no (rack to guide 



