National Press Association 
of Aniateiu- riiblishers and Journalists. 
VV. J. Gould, Mannger, 
3907 Cottage Grove Ave.. Chicago, 111. 
All lettc'i-s of inquiry and coium anient ions 
)iertaining to t he x\ss'oci;ition slionld Ije iid- 
(IresstMl to the nianjif^er. 
The Naturaijsi is the offlcial organ 
of the Association and will be sent free 
to all members. 
Tliere are amateurs and amateurs and 
the sensible ones leave the i)iiutlng to 
the printei-. 
If you have not already learned full 
]):irticnlars regarding tlie Association 
you should write to the manager at once. 
All publishers sending their paper 
regularly to our oftice will ]-eceive The 
Xatuualist, our ofTicial oi'gan, in cx- 
cliange. 
Recently, the Jonrnnlift, of New York, 
a paper fo- professionals, offered prizes 
for articles on Amateur Journalism. Sev- 
eral of these prize articles have already 
been published : we hope more will follow. 
Amateur ijublishers should subscribe 
to The Naturalist througli the Nation- 
al Press Association of Amateui' Publish- 
ers and Journalists. We wiU have much 
to say of particular interest to you in 
forthcoming numbers. 
The benefits en joj^ed by the country 
publisher by the use of the plate and 
ready print method are mow extended to 
the Amateur publishers, by this Associa- 
tion, even to better advantage. Write 
for particulars. 
Every Amateur and prospective ]iub- 
lisher in the United States should know 
that this Association has formulated a 
method of publishing that will greatly 
aid and enable the Amateur Press to be 
placed upon a footing such as it has not 
heretofore attained. The Association was 
organized for the purpose of furnishiug 
much better Amateur Publications than 
the average and at the same time greatly 
joweriug the cost of publishing. 
Phoca Vitulina. 
The Hair Seal, one of the family of 
Pinnipefls^ is popularly tliought to be shy 
and owinii' to its flattened braiu case, 
somewhat dull an<l stupid; yet a visit to 
the grounds where llei'r Karson's trained 
Seals are kept, wcudd soon coi'rect the 
eiior. The Seals, five in nuiHl)er. are 
named "Baby Mine." -Geo. Stahr," "Bes." 
'T-'aur''and"Clown."Each is ])rovided with 
a sloping box, upon which they perform. 
On this box is painted the name of the 
animal to which it belongs, and no nuit- 
terhow often the position of these boxes 
is changed, using every conceivable de- 
vice to confuse tbem, yet as each name is 
called, they move to it,in their awkward 
fashion, without th(^ least hesitation, and 
assume their proper place. A bell fast- 
ened to a board, with a small chain at- 
tached, is placed before them and at the 
(command of the trainer, oiu^ of the fin- 
gers or claws of the fore foot is thrust 
into tlie ling and the bell rung many 
times. Then a tambourine is set before 
each Seal and a snare drum before tlie 
leader; to his flipper is strapped a drum 
.stick, then the signal to commence the 
concert is given and the whole audience 
is convulsed with laughter at the energy 
displayed and the amount of noise made, 
the Seals showing- by the constantly turn- 
ing of the head their evident enjoyment, 
and are only stopped by the stern com- 
mand ot their tiainer. Besides this they 
drive a sewing machine, fire oft" guns, 
smoke pipes, throw the head back and 
make a noise between a bark and a snarl, 
dance and w;iltz in the water in a very 
graceful manner, keeping time to music. 
When hungry they strike the fore foot 
rapidly up and down on the floor, like a 
dog wagging liis tail and in all their ac- 
tions displaying an intelligence and sa- 
gacity truly wonderful. 
IJoolts Kccpived. 
All books reviewed in these coliim« can be 
obtained from the Editor of this paper. 
Thk Report of Thlc CoMMissioNf;R of 
Agriculture — Hon. Nonnan J. Colman, 
published at Government Printing Office, 
Washington, D. C. i83q — is a model work, 
replete witii facts of current and timely 
topics of interest to the farming communi- 
ty. The report on Truck Farming should 
be in the hands of every market gardener. 
The report of the Ornithologist and Mam- 
mologist is a valuable contribution to the 
domain of Economic Ornithology. The 
Crow {Corru3 americanus) is put on trial 
and a mass of reliable and trustworthy evi- 
dence is concisely brought out, impartially 
considered and a summary showing that 
the damage to crops, eggs and young of 
tiirds far outweighs any benefit derived 
from the destruction of mice or their ser- 
vices as scavengers. 
will be inserted fi'ee for actual subscribers 
Copy must be detached from letter and 
written on one side of paper only ; no! to ex- 
ceed fonr lines, including address, estimat- 
ing eight words to the line. 
Wanted to exchange; Cones' "IJirds of the 
North-west" lor Cones' " tJirds of the Color:i- 
do Valley." Wni. Stepbenson, Ft. Vei di, A. T. 
Foil Sale OK I-Ixchanoe : steam engine & 
boiler. Cost owner ifliHi; will ))nt aboard 
ears for $40, cash, or will trade for Ijicyele, 
printing material or .Vrclia^ological speci- 
mens. Address A., this oftice. 
KoK ExCHANOE. Fine specimens of polish- 
ed Am. Bison horns. Wat\t Indian n lics. 
Best ofl'er accepted. Address B., this oftiec. 
Will collect loca 1 specimens of any kind in 
exchange for egirs in sets, with data; also ex- 
change eggs. F. N, Nutter, llooin It Richards 
Block, Minneapolis, Minn. 
I will give lirst class American or Euro- 
pean Eggs in exchange for Indian Relics of 
any kind. Send list of what yon have stating 
wants, to C, care this office. 
For Exchange 52 inch Columbia Bicycle, 
with bag & wrench. Front wheel is sliglitly 
sprung otherwise in good shape. Want 
$ 511,11(1 worth of Arrow Points. Axes, and 
Indiangoods. Address A-Uiateur, care of the 
Naturalist. 
Oologists: The editor of this paper desires 
toexciiange with yon. Send list of what yon 
b.ave stating what you want enclosing 
stamp for reply. 
SEt'RKT Ink recipe jjamiiblet mailed 
to any address for silver dime, W. A. 
Duncan, '■> Jefferson St., Ann Arbor,Mich. 
Skate's Eggs, 5 cts, each. Shark's Eggs 
15 cts. Sent post i>aid on receipt of |irice. 
Naturalist's Exchange, Box 6fl, K. C. Mo. 
To Coi-iXjEctoiss 
We have in stock asnpply of the following 
enumerated Fossil Fish from the Grei n 
river shales; Diplo-viistus analis, D. iium- 
ILIUS, D. ALTUS, D. PusiLLUS. On Slabs from 
4 to (i inches in length. For terms, address 
Naturalists' Exchange, bo.x 69, Kansas 
CITV, Mo. 
THE AUK 
A Quarterly Journal of Ornitliology. 
■IliJ.OO a year. 75 cents a single number. 
Published bv the AMERICAN ORNI- 
THOLOGISTS' UNION. J. A. Allen, 
Editor. 
The AUK will present as heretofore, time- 
ly ,ind intei'esting p.apers on thesub.ieets to 
which it relates, and its readers may feel sure 
of being kept abreast of the advances in the 
science. The AUK is primarily intended as 
a communication between Ornithologists. 
While necessarily lo some degree technical, 
it contains a fair proportion of matter of a 
popular character. Its notices of i-ecent lit- 
erature cover the whole field of North Amer- 
ican Ornithology, and with the departments 
of "General Notes" and "Notes and News" 
render the Journal Indispensable to those 
wishing the latest and fullest intelligence 
of the subject. L. S. FOSTER, Publisher, 
New York City. New York. 
SUPPLY DEPOT 
GOODS AND SUPPLIES FOR 
Taxidermists, Entomo- 
logists, Oologists, and 
Botanists. 
Arsenic, Bird Lime, Cops, Chenille, Excelsi- 
or, Flowers, (ilue. Grasses, Frosting, Icicles, 
Leaves, Mo^s. Mica, Plaster, Smalts, Sands, 
Shields, Stands, Tags, Tow, Annealed Wire, 
Kgg Drills. Blowers, Trays, Setting Boards, 
Cases, Cork, Cyanide Bottles, Forceps, Nets, 
Insect Pins, Gun Canes, Mountingand Dry- 
ing Paper, Glass Shades, Books, Oval Glass 
Shades for Panels, Artilicial Glass Eyes, Bird 
Skins, Bird Kggs and Curiosities. 
Publisher of the 
ORNITHOLOGIST & OOLOGIST. 
Frank B. Webster, 409 Wasliing'ton St., 
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS. 
THIRD EDITION 
HEuisEd anrl EnlargEd 
WITH 
1 2 FULL PAGE ENGRAVINGS 
BY 
THEADORE JASPER. A. M. M, 
AND 
Jp-. OTTO EMERSO.V, M. 
OLIVER DAVIE'S 
Egg Check List 
AND 
Keii tn thfi NESTSX EEES 
OF 
Nnrth flmErican Eirds. 
With an Introduction by 
J. 3^^0I^:E^IS. 
Arranged and numbered according to the 
A. O. U. Nom. It is indispensable to all stu- 
dents of Oology; assisting them in identify, 
ing Nests and Kggs in the field, and t.akes the 
place of expensive works, beyond the reach 
of many collectors. The 3rd edition is the 
most complete, accurate and valuable book 
of the kind in existence. It contains full 
and accurate descriptions of all the Nests and 
Kggsof the Land and Water Birds of North 
America including European species known 
to occur in Ameriee, together with the breed- 
ing range and habitat of the species and Orni- 
thological synanvms. It has a complete an- 
alytical index and 13 full page illustrations. 
It <!Onlains over t.iti pages, exclusive of title 
page, jueface and Introduction. 
Post Paid for$1.25in paper covers or $1.75 
in cloth binding. Address; 
naturalists' exchange, box 69, 
Kansas City, Missouri. 
