NATUKAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



foot of one of the higher hills, and 

 the country soon developed into a 

 very rocky aspect. As we advan- 

 ced large boulders began to present 

 themselves, some as large as an 

 ordinary house. 



On reaching the top of the hill, 

 the boy said we were close by, and 

 pointing to a large rock, said it 

 was just back of that. Going a- 

 round the rock we came upon the 

 nest, and the bird flew off a short 

 distance and perched upon the 

 rocks, watched us as we pro- 

 ceeded to take as beautiful a set of 

 two eggs, as 1 ever saw. The nest 

 was nothing but a hollow between 

 two small boulders, and the eggs 

 rested upon a small bunch of moss. 



Strewn about were many bones 

 and this pair had probably been 

 nesting here for several years. 



The eggs were of a creamy 

 white color heavily blotched with 

 brown and were but slightly incu- 

 bated. Average size 2.81x1.90. 



A. G. Prill. M. D. 



Late Arrival of Our Birds. 



Perhaps nothing so far in 1895 

 has developed more of interest to 

 the observer of birds and bird 

 ways than the unusually late arrival 

 of all of our must common birds, 

 which are very generally quite ac- 

 curate as regards the date on which 

 they seek their summer homes or 

 pass us on their way still further 

 North. A few notes in comparison 

 will do equally well in explanation 

 and save your readers the perusal 

 of a longer article. 



1E9J. 1895. 



Canada Goose, nrst seen March 1. March 27- 



Robin, 3. " 11- 



Bluebird. " " " 3. " 28- 



Phoebe, " " " 3. " 23' 



Meadowlark, " " " 4. " 27- 



Killdeer, " " " 4. " 23 



R.-win'd Bl'kb'd " " " 4. " 21- 



Bronzed Grackle" " " 5. " 17' 



Marsh Hawk, " " " f>. " 23- 



Song Sparrow. " '« " 8. " 24. 



I find that the notes of '94 are 

 not far from the average for a per- 

 iod of some years. Have our 

 birds forsaken us? I have noted 

 only thirteen species thus far and 

 I am noted as being very diligent 

 in my efforts to personally welcome 

 the first arrivals in every species 

 possible. Let us hear from others 

 of our fraternal brotherhood. 



L. Whitney Watkins. 



Manchester, Mich. 



Black and Turkey Vultures. 



In response to Mr. Eugene Per- 

 icles' request in Natural Science 

 News of Feb'y 9th, for information 



concerning our Vultures. I will 

 venture to give my observations, 

 relative to their habits here in the 

 Carolinas. 



In extreme parts of western 

 North Carolina, the Black Vul- 

 ture is never seen; while in a more 

 central portion of the state they 

 are an occasional visitor, but are 

 only seen in company with the 

 Turkey Vulture, when feeding on 

 some dead animal. The Turkey 

 Vulture is very abundant through- 

 out the state; while on the other 

 hand, in the state of South Caro- 

 lina, the Black Vulture by far ex- 

 ceeds the Turkey Vulture in num- 

 ber, and the nearer the coast the 

 more plentiful you find them. 



I have never observed a mixed 

 flock of these birds flying together, 

 although I have oftentimes seen 

 them feeding together in apparent 

 harmony. I am rather under the 

 impression, that with these Vul- 

 tures, majority rules, ( so to speak) 

 and where the Black Vulture is 

 predominant in a section of coun- 

 try, the Turkey Vulture (as Mr. 

 Pericles terms it ) is driven away, 

 arid vice-versa. 



J. S. Burgin, 

 Blacksburg. S. C' 



What is Science? 



For the Natural Science News. 



There are so many vocations, or 

 occupations in life followed by per- 

 sons of great general ignorance: 

 but, by a sort of complimentary 

 ridicule are called Professor or 

 some such term, that one half 

 of the people who bear the t'itle, 

 wear it more in ridicule than in 

 honor. So that some brute of a 

 bully who approaches the physi- 

 cal power of a mule is called — Sci- 

 enced. And, some one skilled in 

 jugglery and deception is styled 

 Prof. 



The Natural Sciences too have 

 their comprehension, which is 

 quite distinct from the Mathemat- 

 ical Sciences. 



Your little sheet, proposes the 

 consideration of the Natural; 

 and so far as subjects have been 

 discussed in your pages that class 

 has been handled. 



While the pages are too small 

 to expect any extended discussion 

 of Natural Science, yet, there will 

 be given to the public much of 

 scientific interest. Zoology includ- 

 ing Ornithology etc., etc., is a sci- 

 enceandits expounders are true sci- 

 entists, but, I think many people 



are mercenary in their conception 

 of it;for instance — the trafficking in 

 cabinet specimens. Not to get a 

 cabinet of the preserved specimens 

 of Natural History, but to put a 

 few dollars in the pocket of him 

 who prepared them for market. 

 And cabinets of blown eggs are 

 not prepared for the scientific study 

 of the Oology, but to trade on 

 something of mercenary value, 

 really thus prostituting the science 

 of Oology to sharp dealing. 



And, annually thousands of birds, 

 and their eggs are destroyed by 

 nest robbers in the name of science, 

 but, in the interest of a mere busi- 

 ness occupation. So, with an oth- 

 er class of destroyers who kill birds 

 for the feathers to sell to trim out 

 womens hats and bonnets. Thus 

 in the name of Ornithology the 

 natural scavengers of the field and 

 forest are diverted — from the true 

 object of their creation to a pur- 

 pose which has caused millions of 

 bushels of grain, and millions of 

 bushels of fruit, annually, to be de- 

 stroyed by noxious insects which 

 the birds would destroy if they were 

 not destroyed in the name of a very 

 creditable science. 



What a science is, therefore, is, 

 not, what it is taken to be. What 

 I had hoped from your News, and 

 what I believe it will advocate is, a 

 a high plane of scientific teaching 

 Nature, for the excellency of in- 

 culcating the scientific knowledge 

 of what there is of beauty and 

 learning. In bird-life, shell-life or 

 mineral existance. What there is 

 to the collection in money should 

 be incidental, and not primary as 

 now, in the collectors of the coun- 

 try 



Ordinarily, the study of any Nat- 

 ural Science is in the field, and, by 

 the collector himself, the proof of 

 what he is studying consists, in de- 

 monstrating truth, indeed, nothing 

 should be accepted as science that 

 cannot be demonstrated as a truth, 

 invariably occuring under like cir- 

 cumstances. If people would re- 

 quire such rigidity in test, how 

 many of the so-called sciences 

 would fail in the crucible of truth. 

 How much of Geology would be 

 left out of the books, if known 

 truth should be required to de- 

 monstrate it, instead of specula- 

 tion on which so much of it is 

 based, so with astronomy, and, all 

 the intangible subjects of scienti- 

 fic research. That Natural Science 

 which falls most closely under 

 your advocacy is, however, tang- 

 ible and demonstratable; and, need 

 not for that reason be prostituted 

 to the avarice of mere business 



