80 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



although Mr. Seott probably has had much greater opportunities for 

 observation than I, my experience has been very different from his. 

 This may perhaps be accounted for by the mildness of climate, or a 

 lower proportion of bird enemies in the Pacific Coast collecting grounds ; 

 but it is a fact that occasionally sick or suffering birds and animals are 

 to be found in California. For example, I have found dead sea-birds 

 along the shore, with no signs of their having been injured, in a greatly 

 emaciated condition, showing that they had suffered for some time 

 before death. I have shot land-birds that were woefully thin and weak, 

 and have even taken one or two that were so afflicted with some 

 cutaneous disease that it seemed advisable not to handle them. The 

 Californian Jack-rabbit suffers to a great extent from lumps caused by 

 a parasite, and these are sometimes so large, and weaken the animal 

 to such a degree, that it can hardly get out of one's way. Besides eye- 

 witnesses who can verify some of these observations of my own, there 

 must be others who have had similar experiences, and consequently 

 Mr. Scott's statement cannot be accepted as an absolute rule. — 

 Joseph Mailliard." — A writer under the initials W. K. F. adds: — 

 " My own experience agrees perfectly with that of Mr. Mailliard. 

 During December, 1900, while at Monterey Bay, I saw a Heermann 

 Gull and many emaciated Brandt Cormorants which were dying a slow 

 death, and only yesterday (Dec. 22nd, 1902) saw another during a 

 short walk near the Point Pinos Light. On Laysan Island, Hawaiian 

 group, I saw a number of sickly birds among the seafowl, and found 

 a very rare Petrel in this condition. Mr. Scott's rule does not obtain 

 among mammals, for, besides the example offered by Mr. Mailliard, I 

 found a large Sea-Lion near Cypress Point, which existed for days in 

 a perfectly helpless and moribund condition, until Prof. Harold Heath 

 and myself mercifully killed it. Dissection showed no internal injuries 

 nor parasites, while the teeth rather pointed to old age." 



We are glad to see from the last published Beport of the Australian 

 Museum at Sydney that the preparation of the new edition of Mr. A. 

 J. North's work has been continued. It is practically new, although 

 to some extent based on the former catalogue, and it has been decided 

 to call it " Special Catalogue, No. 1, Nests and Eggs of Birds found 

 breeding in Australia and Tasmania." The first part was issued 

 in June. 



