154 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
the circuinstances was what troubled me ; 
sliooting would not do after dark, so I 
hnnted for a long- pole and finally found 
one with which I could reach the bird, 
who seemed stupid and disinclined to move, 
having pi-obably just made a heavy meal 
on some unfortimate mouse. I got a lick 
at it and tumbled it down without injur¬ 
ing the plumage in the least. It made a 
magnificent skin and is altogether the best 
specimen of this species that I have had 
so far. It was very fat.” 
Dec. 14, 1881, he writes that he had al¬ 
ready taken over thirty Owls during this 
"Winter, but just then birds were hard to 
get, it being fearfully muddy, as the frost 
was all out of the ground. He had heard 
of some Albino Sharp-tailed Grouse about, 
but as yet had not seen any. 
He writes Dec. 18, 1881, that about 
Walla Walla he is spoiling the Owl crop, 
having already killed and skinned thirteen 
/?. virgininnns Saturatiis, besides a num¬ 
ber of Long, Shorrieared and Kennicotts. 
and was likely to get more. The Winter 
is very mild and open, farmers are busy 
ploughing and the air feels more like April 
than December. Birds are scarce just now 
and the number of species limited. 
Jan. 8, 1882, in speaking of a collection 
of one hundred and sevejity skins of dif¬ 
ferent birds made from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 
1881, one hundred being males and sev¬ 
enty females, he says the sexes predomi¬ 
nate greatly in some species, sometimes 
one and then again the other. 
Jan. 1.'), 1882, two specimens of the 
Cedar Bird {Ampelist cedroruni) were se¬ 
cured. He has never noticed any so far 
north in midwinter, and in fact, tliey are 
anything but common in Summer. Among 
the less common Winter visitors or resi¬ 
dents he has taken several Pipilos and 
one Long-billed Marsh Wren, westeni form. 
March Hi, 1882, he took a nest of the 
Long-eared Owl omfiriraiiux,) six 
eggs, all pretty large specimens. This is 
his earliest record for this s])ecies. al¬ 
[Vol 7-No. 20 
though the eggs had been set on at least 
a week. 
March 26, 1882, a set of five fresh eggs 
of Scops asio Kennicotti was secured. 
He made fifteen skins of this Owl from 
October to March. 
Florida Gallinule. 
This handsome bird is abundant all 
along the Seneca river marshes in this State. 
With us it is known as “ The Water Hen.” 
They arrive early in May, and are soon ob¬ 
served in large numbers strutting, like 
roosters, about the “ Wash.” (a local name 
here given to an overflowed marsh when 
but the tops of the old flagg api)ear above 
the surface of the water.) This is the time 
of the year for the collector who wish¬ 
es to procure specimens for the cabinet, 
as they are in perfect jilumage and (piite 
easily procured. A boat can readily be 
propelled through this “ mash,” a too near 
approach of which causes some of the 
birds to take wing, others to dive. They 
remain beneath the surface long enough 
for the boat to approach within easy 
shoothig range. Then all the collector 
has to do is to “ keep his eye peeled" and 
drop them one by one as they break 
water. They seem to be in full flight the 
instant they reappear. Often are they 
observed to rush out of the water, as it 
were, within a foot of the boat. Although 
rarely exhibited in our markets for sale, 
the gunners along the river prefer them 
to duck for the table. They are an ex¬ 
ceedingly social species; more or less 
noisy at all times. They make the mai'shcs 
lively during the breeding season, at 
which time they extend their jollification 
far into the night accompanied, at inter, 
vals. by the somewhat ludicrous notes of 
the Carolina Grebe and the rattle of the 
Marsh Wren. They commence to build 
about the last week in May, although nests 
are found at this date with eggs. The 
second week in June is the harvest time 
for th«* oologist. From not-es taken June 
