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ORNITHOLOGIST 
Reason persons follow the avocation of 
ef'g gatherers. The eggs are very difficult 
to find, but the regular gatherers will 
walk almost at once to the nest. Eggs of 
the Black-headed and other small Gulls 
are often sold in large numbers as Plover's 
eggs, but are not so delicate or so fine fla¬ 
vored. The early eggs are obtained from 
Holland, and are sold in London at high 
prices. The young birds try to elude 
capture by lying flat on the groimd, and 
are almost as difficult to find as the eggs. 
The food of the Lajiwing consists of 
worms, insects, larvae, slugs, etc. The 
Lapwnng has increased in numbers during 
the past few years in consequence of the 
destruction of the birtls of 2 )rey.— J. T. 
T. li., Ii>//n>pe, Durham County, Eny. 
Common Europe.\n Heron {Ardea cine- 
ren. TAnn .)—Since the days of Falconry 
great changes have taken jilace, and the 
Heron, once protected by the most severe 
laws, is now persecuted by the preserver 
of fish. The Heron used to afford great 
sport to the falconer in the middle ages, 
as it was usually taken l)y a cast of female 
Peregrines, but it was no unusual occur¬ 
rence for the Falcon to be killed by the 
formidable beak of the Heron. The Heron 
is still met with in many parts of Eng¬ 
land. but most of its breeding places are 
protected by land-owners, who have a 
liking for the bird, and but for the partial 
jirotection afl’orded to it. the Heron would 
long ago have been improved out of the 
British Isles. The Heron l)reeds in colo¬ 
nies. making its nest on the tops of trees, 
though sometimes a steep rock may be 
chosen as a nesting place. The nest is 
large, being about a yaial across, and is 
composed of sticks and lined with soft 
grass. The eggs are four or five in num¬ 
ber and are of a uniform ])ale green 
color. The food of the Heron consists of 
fish, frogs, water beetles, shrimps, small 
crabs, and the ova of fish. — J. T. T. 
Htu'd. /iyhopr. Knyhmd . 
[^^oI. 7-No. 20 
The Coues’ Check List. 
One of the most important contribu¬ 
tions to ornithological literature recently 
made is the “ Revised Check List of 
North American Birds” by Dr. Coues. 
Although called a second edition of the 
list of 1873, it is practically a new work. 
The old list contained only seven hun¬ 
dred and fifty species and sub species, and 
twenty-eight in the appendix, while the 
present list, which includes Greenland 
birds, enumerates eight hundred and 
eighty-eight species, each variety having 
its own number. This is a diff'erent i)lan 
from that adopted in the 1873 list, as 
only full species are there numbered, the 
sub-species being given as a, b, and c. 
As showing the accuracy of the author’s 
original list, it may be stated that only 
ten names have had to be removed, while 
one hundred and twenty have been added, 
thus showing the great j^rogress made in 
North American Ornithology during the 
past nine years. 
The Ornithological Dictionaiw in con¬ 
nection with the list consists of a treatise 
on the etymology, orthography, and or 
thoepy of all the scientific and many of 
vernacular words employed in the nomen¬ 
clature of North American birds. This 
will be invaluable to students, as many, 
however familiar they may be with the 
names of their feathered friends on ])ajier, 
have little idea of the derivation, signifi¬ 
cation and application of tlie words. 
The book is neatly ])rinted. nicely in 
dexed (as are all of the Dr.’s works), and 
tastefully bound, and will add another 
laurel to the gifted author who has done 
so much for American ornithology during 
the past twenty years. 
Snowy Owls. — Caj)t. William E. Kings 
bury of the Eleventh Infantry, stationed 
at Camp Bojilar River, Montana Territory, 
has two Snowy Owls that are tjimed suffi 
ciently to answer to the call of a 
wliistle. 
