62 



NATURAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



ton, but the Bluebirds returned all 

 right when spring came. 



Our Robins, too, are greatly re- 

 duced in numbers and up to date 

 I have not yet seen a single Yel- 

 low-rump, though they are usually 

 plentiful by this time. 



All the Fringillidae which winter 

 in the Southern states do not seem 

 to have suffered much loss, and the 

 Thrashers, Bewick's Wrens, Chip- 

 pies and Sycamore Warblers came 

 back in full numbers. 



O. Widmann. 

 Old Orchard, Mo. 



Our first Bluebird, a single 

 specimen, was noted on April 7th. 

 Since that date only a single pair 

 has been recorded, ordinarily the 

 Bluebird is one of our most com- 

 mon species. 



Other birds, although belated, 

 have returned in, apparently, their 

 usual numbers — the Robin is un- 

 usually abundant. 



Mr. J. Rowland Nowell, on page 

 39 of Natural Science News, 

 April 6th, answers most conclu- 

 sively what became of some of our 

 Bluebirds, and it's barely possible 

 that the non-appearance of untold 

 thousands may be attributed to the 

 same cause. 



Until otherwise proven, it will 

 be well for the bird-lovers of our 

 land to adopt this pessimistic view 

 of the bluebird question, and during 

 the ensuing season consider it 

 their special duty to see that every 

 bird and every nest of this species 

 be most rigidly protected. 



Without this precaution our 

 Bluebirds of today might through 

 the ubiquitous "small boy, " em- 

 bryo naturalist, and other agencies, 

 both natural and otherwise, place 

 this species in a rank with the Pas- 

 senger Pigeon and possibly with 

 the Great Auk and Labrador Duck. 



This alarm note we trust is un- 

 called for and the illustrations 

 overdrawn, however it will be 

 conceded by all that "an ounce of 

 prevention is worth a pound of 

 cure. " — Ed.~\ 



A Two-headed Snake. 



I wonder how many of the read- 

 ers of Natural Science News 

 have ever seen a two-headed snake. 

 I can safely say but few. In fact I 

 doubt if more than five; such was 

 my pleasure not many days ago. 

 This freak is a common black wa- 

 ter snake, not over twelve inches 

 long, and was born in captivity 

 with twenty-eight others last spring. 

 Consequently is now pretty near a 



year old. Head number one is sit- 

 uated the same as any ordinary 

 snake's head is, while head num- 

 ber two is about one-half inch be- 

 low it on the left hand side, and 

 forms a right angle with head num- 

 ber one. 



Both heads are alive and it is a 

 very peculiar sight to see both 

 tongues darting back and forth at 

 the same time. It eats with both 

 heads and does not seem in the 

 least bothered with its odd head. 

 In the winter when given a pan of 

 ice cold water it would get into it 

 and swim around without the least 

 hesitancy, and was as lively as any 

 snake I have ever seen. This freak 

 is owned by Mr. G. Smith, who is 

 justly proud of his pet. 



J. B. Canfield, 

 Bridgeport, Ct. 



To All M ; chig«n Observers- 



In the April Oologist, and also in the 

 Natural Science News, reference was 

 made to the formation of our Michigan 

 Academy of Sciences, and an invitation 

 extended to those disposed to join. 



Many responded to the request for 

 ohservations on our State Birds, and we 

 are promised aid from all quarters of 

 the State, though of the. many observers 

 in Michigan, a number have not com- 

 plied by letter, as yet. 



It is now time to begin observations, 

 and the following suggestions are offer- 

 ed to those who wish to gather Michigan 

 notes, and materials for the "M. A. S." 



General observations on arrivals and 

 departures are solicited and which are 

 to lje kept after the manner of the ob- 

 servations for the Government Depart- 

 ment at Washington. But in addition 

 to general notes, it has been suggested 

 that a special family should be studied 

 in a thorough manner. After delibera- 

 tion it has been decided to give our 

 priucipal attention to the Warblers. 



There are thirty-six species of war- 

 blers known in Michigan, and one var- 

 iety. The listing of the Yellow-throat- 

 ed Warbler, Dendroica dominica (L.) in 

 Cook's Birds of Michigan, 1893, was an 

 error. 



Of these representatives of a most in- 

 teresting family, twenty-eight are com- 

 mon and well known to all advanced col- 

 lectors, and twenty two are abundant. 

 Twenty-one are known to breed in the 

 state, and the nesting habits of seven 

 are known to nearly all observers. 

 Four species are stragglers only. Sev- 

 en or more are locally distributed, and 

 not found in many sections. Five are 

 thought to pass north cf our boundaries 

 to nest. SeA T en are known to remain in 

 the state in summer, yet are not known 

 to breed. 



Notes should be taken at each station 

 as follow: 



1 . Date of arrival of first male and fe- 

 male. Date when common. Date at 

 which last specimen of those who pass 

 north was seen. List of summer sojour- 

 ners. 



2. Date of first song. Description of 

 songs and call notes, expressed in syl- 

 lables. Preferred time of singing. 

 Date of cessation of song. 



3. Date of earliest nest building. 

 Date of completion. Complete descrip- 

 tion of nest; dimensions; exact situat- 

 ion; with name of tree or bush, descrip- 

 tion of locality, wood, or field, marsh or 

 highland. Full notes on material of 

 nest structure, outside, inside and lin- 

 ing. Weight of nest (avordupois ) 



4. Date of first egg deposited. Date 

 Position of the first full set. Position of 

 the cg-gs. Number of the eggs. Date of 

 hatching of brood. Take careful note 

 of date of deposition of egg of Cowbird, 

 and length of period of incubation of 

 Warbler and Cowbird. 



5. Date when young leave the nest, 

 with special mention of the time when 

 the young Cowbird leaves. 



6. Habits of old bird during incuba- 

 tion and care of you. g. Food of the 

 young. Food of the old birds. 



7. Description of eggs. 



8. Date of departure, with remarks 

 on changed appearauce from moulting. 

 Date of appearance of northern tran- 

 sients. 



9. Other notes which will be suggest- 

 ed to thoughtful observers by the birds. 



These observations, if generally and 

 systematicaly taken, will secure to us a 

 better understanding of the Warblers of 

 Michigan than has been our fortune thus 

 far. This State has not received the at- 

 tention from thorough workers which 

 its interesting avi fauna would seem to 

 invite, and no concerted systematic 

 work has ever been accomplished. 



Systematic observations cannot fail to 

 be of interest to each worker in a local- 

 ity, while the value of a compilation of 

 these notes will be of the greatest assist- 

 ence in future research. To those who 

 wish to study other families or groups 

 of birds, and to all collectors of skins 

 and eggs, we would say that the Aca- 

 demy will be pleased to receive your ob- 

 servations, as well as specimens which 

 you may wish to offer. 



Michigan Academy of Sciences, 

 Morris Gibbs, M. D., 



Department of Ornithology, 

 Kalamazoo, 

 Michigan. 



[These suggestions are so good, that 

 we cannot do better than to advise col- 

 lectors of other states to follow them in 

 conserted action and later secure com- 

 pilation of the season's efforts. It is 

 only by this means that our best work 

 is accomplished. — Ed.] 



