140 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Vol. 7-No. IS 
() R N IT II O L 0 G 1 S T 
—AND— 
OOLOGIST. 
A MONTin.T MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO 
THE STUDY OP BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EOOS. 
,ros. nr. wAi>E, eiutor. 
With the co-operation of able Ornithoiogical 
Writers and Collectors. 
Subscription—$1.00 j>er annuvi. Forf iqn siibncn'])- 
tion $1.2.5 —includinq poKtarje. Specimen 
Copies Ten Cents. 
JOS. M. WADE, Norwich, Conn. 
EDTTORTA L. 
Two Young Artists. 
Ainoiior onr subseribers and contributors 
are two young men, or rather boys, one on 
the Eastern slope, and the other on the "Wes¬ 
tern, both troubled with the same disease 
(hip) that has not only rolibed their boy¬ 
hood of its pleasures, but has prevented 
them from acquiring in the usual way the 
ordinary education due to boys of their 
age. But this has been overcome by nat¬ 
ural talent and the careful attention of 
fond parents. Both are natural ornitholo¬ 
gists—keen observers, and although con¬ 
fined often to the house, are not behind 
the brightest of their age. 
Both of these boys have taken to the 
pencil and brusli, and if they cannot climb 
big trees they can paint them, and can also 
paint birds at this present time that fifty 
years ago would have given them a repu¬ 
tation 5vorld wide. .411 they need now 
is patronage to develoji greater talent, 
and this should not be wanting, for there 
are plenty of our readers who can aftbrd 
to give tliese boys special orders for 
such birds as tliey might select. This 
would not only encourage them, but would 
be a great benefit to tlie science in (level 
oping talent for future book illustration. 
If this strikes the reader as favorably as it 
does the writer, they will address for further 
information. Edgar .V. Small, Hagerstown. 
Maryland, or W. (). Emerson. Haywards. 
Cal., both of whom are making valuable 
co’lections of skins and eggs. 
Five Eggs.— On another page wall be 
found a statement by Mr. Worthington 
that he and his friend Griffing had taken a 
set each of five eggs from the nest of the 
Cat Bird, and enquiring if five is not an 
unusual number. In 1878. after finding 
about fifty of their nests, we at last found 
one containing five eggs, which are care¬ 
fully preserved in our collection. We 
have never since found a set of five. For | 
years w e have been anxiously looking for a | 
Robin’s nest containing five eggs, but with- t 
out success until this day, (May 22), when r 
we found the long looked for set of five | 
eggs. Three were of the usual size, and 1 
two somewhat smaller—one of which was | 
fresh or not fertile, the others w'ere well ad¬ 
vanced in incubation. The number of I 
eggs laid by the Cat Bird and Robin is . 
positv'eh/ four. From old age or accident ? 
a less number may be laid, and in extreme 
cases five or even more. 
Since the above was written Snowdon 
Howland reports a set of seven—two 
large and five small, the latter fresh, while 
the former were slightly incubated. This 
is good evidence but we would like to hear 
from others who have taken sets of five 
or more. 
Collector’s Movements. — Mr. John M. 
How’ey, Canandaigua. N. Y., is to spend 
the collecting season on the Kansas and 
Cottonwood Rivers, about the ninety-sev¬ 
enth parallel. 
Mr. 41. Chamberlain of St. John. X B.. 
and Mr. H. .4. Purdie of Boston. Mass., 
will do the collecting season in the 4Iadn- 
waska district, near the Maine. Quebec and 
X. B. borders. May their finds be equal 
to their zeal in the cause. 
4Ir. Fred. T. Jencks of Providence. R. 
I., and 4Ir. H. B. Bailey, of Xew York, are 
now collecting in Dakota. Mr. Jencks ex 
pects to remain thereuntil July. He finds 
the season very cold and backward, but is i 
having good success, and will have many 
rare specimens to offer, for which refer to i 
our advertising columns. 1 
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