392 The American Naturalist. | [May, 
in caves, old mines, wells, ete. I have specimens from the coal 
mines of Pennsylvania in which the growth is much larger 
than this. I suspect it is an effort on the part of the plant to 
get to the light, and instead of the usual sessile pileus it makes 
an elongated stem-like growth. It grows on wood; and it is 
possible, in some cases at least, that the wood may contain the 
mycelium when it is carried into the cave or mine.” 
This great difference of form, in the light of the suggestion 
of Dr. Peck, is one of the most interesting botanical facts of the 
cave. The specimens, when fresh, had, at the reddish tip, a 
white, powdery bloom that gave a bleached appearance to the 
last inch or more of the specimen. It was found growing in a 
damp station not far from the Bottomless Pit. 
These main new facts in the occurrence and distribution of 
cave insects and plants have been presented as a contribution 
to a knowledge of the life of the most interesting cave on the 
continent. Its great expanse renders likely additional discov- 
eries on complete study. 
METHODS IN ECONOMIC ORNITHOLOGY, WITH 
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE CATBIRD. 
By SYLVESTER D. Jupp. 
The determination of the food habits of birds is of vast import- 
ance in rural economy. Owing to the ignorance on this sub- 
ject, such a grave mistake as the introduction of the English 
sparrow- was made. In order to ascertain the food of any 
bird, and to determine its relation to agriculture, a definite 
scheme of investigation must be followed. Until recently the 
method employed was that of observing birds while feeding ; 
but this gave such fragmentary knowledge that distorted con- 
clusions were drawn, and many innocent birds suffered, par- 
ticularly the hawks and owls, until Dr. A. K. Fisher,’ by the 
careful examination of stomachs, showed that of the 49 species 
of our hawks and owls, only 6 are injurious to agriculture. 
1 Hawks and Owls of the United States, Bull. 3, U. S. Dept. Agriculture. 
