LOGIST. 
83 
The Birds of the Vicinity of Troy, 
New York. 
Mr. Austin F. Park, of Troy, recently delivered 
an interesting lecture under this title before the 
Troy Scientific Association. Pie exhibited a col- 
lection of about 230 specimens, representing 175- 
species of local birds. The lecturer gave a char- 
acteristic description of each bird family, and in- 
terested his audience with many important de- 
tails. The songs of the thrushes peculiarly re- 
sembling the human style of expression and the 
beauty and intense activity of the insectivorous 
warblers were dwelt upon. The bad side of the 
English Sparrows being so often a subject of com- 
ment by citizens, Mr. Park defended the birds by 
showing their excellent capacity as scavengers, 
and that the nuisance of their lodgment in vines, 
trees and window blinds can be avoided by rout- 
ing them out once or twice in the night time, 
when they will leave their lodging place and seek 
other and more peaceful lodgings. This clearing- 
out process can be effected by the use of poles or 
fireworks or a stream of water directed from the 
hydrants. Their war upon insects is unremitting 
for a large part of the year, and when driven 
from town they seek the suburbs, and assist the 
farmer to destroy his grasshoppers, and some- 
times, but only after the grasshoppers are gone, 
to dispose of his surplus grain. 
Mr. Park showed a specimen of the Barred Owl, 
which was shot in Harrison Place a few years 
ago, which had in its stomach the foot and leg of 
a Screech-owl. A series of six Sparrow Hawks 
was exhibited, ranging from the white downy 
nestling to the adult. He also showed the Gos- 
hawks, Chicken Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks, 
of which the females are greatly the largest, and 
which live mainly on other birds. The 
White Gulls Mr. Park denominated the “ white 
winged angels of the Arctic seas,” which are 
rarely found here even in Arctic weather. The 
“Kumlien’s Gull” is a species lately discov- 
ered. It breeds in Cumberland Gulf, in the re- 
gion of Greenland. The one shown by the lec- 
turer is the first recorded specimen found in this 
State. It is white, with a pearly blue back, and 
beautifully shaped. The speaker observed, con- 
cerning the intelligence of birds as indicated by 
the quantity of brains, that the amount of brains 
in proportion to the weight of the body is vastly 
greater in the active birds, as the Thrushes, 
Warblers and Sparrows, than in the Ducks and 
Geese, and that some birds have a larger brain in 
proportion to the weight of the body than is pos- 
sessed by the average man. These facts indicate 
a higher degree of intuitive intelligence in the 
higher and more active grades of birds. The 
cerebrum of a Song Sparrow’s brain has a greater 
weight, in proportion to its body, than the whole 
brain of the average man in proportion to his to- 
tal weight. The birds made a beautiful and 
striking appearance. They constitute only a 
part of the very large collection of Mr. Park, 
which ho is in hopes may some day be a nucleus 
for a public museum in this branch of natural 
history. The address was replete with interest, 
and was very instructive and entertaining to all 
who were so fortunate as to be present. 
n 
O.&O, X. Jane. 1885. p, l- 
