﻿62 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



motives of Arctic explorations have been those of adventure, as 

 the Norsemen, who were the first investigators of these regions ; 

 those for the discovery of the Northwest Passage, the search for 

 the Pole and for Sir John Franklin. The latest is that of the 

 meteorologists, who desire to obtain synchronous observations of 

 the weather from all parts of the world. 



The value of the country embraced within the circle of 6o° north 

 latitude, is almost nothing. The economic products of the region 

 are confined to furs, a little ivory from Siberia, fish and whale oil. 

 The sketch of the physical character of the country, and its fauna 

 and flora, was illustrated with lantern views and specimens. Man, 

 living under circumstances which surround him in the frozen North, 

 is probably the most interesting subject of investigation. He is a 

 carnivorous animal, for, in the absence of plant life, animals alone 

 supply his wants. 



MEETING OF MARCH 3, 1885. 



Vice-President Skinner in the Chair ; twenty persons present. 

 The following were read, and referred to the Publishing Com- 

 mittee : 



NOTES ON FOOD OF RAPTORIAL BIRDS. 

 By Chas. Dury. 



The hawks and owls are popularly regarded as very injurious 

 birds, and always killed when opportunity presents itself. Some 

 of the States offer rewards for scalps of raptorial birds, without any 

 distinction of species. The Legislature of Ohio authorized the 

 commissioners of each county to pay a bounty of 50c. each, for 

 hawk scalps, and hundreds of dollars were expended in this way. 

 Recently, however, I believe, this law was repealed. Several 

 American ornithologists have made observations on the food of our 

 birds, but none so thoroughly as Prof. Forbes, of Illinois, who has 

 dissected hundreds each of several of the most common species, 

 and at all seasons of the year. The result of these observations 

 he has tabulated. This is the only correct way of arriving at the 

 economic value of species of birds. 



The food of many species varies much with the season, and it is 



