Nests and Eggs of Ohio Birds.—It is always a pleasure to record the progress of this notably meritorious work—a pleasure which we trust will be ours until the completion of the design which the authors have thus far carried out so successfully. As we have before remarked, there has been nothing since Audubon in the way of pictorial illustration of American Ornithology to compare with the present work—nothing to claim the union of an equal degree of artistic skill and scientific accuracy. We have no knowledge of the financial aspects of the case; but, as such a work is necessarily expensive, we can only trust that it continues to receive the support it so richly deserves. It is, we believe, sold only by subscription. The last number which has reached us is a double one, being parts 10 and 11, dating Oct. 1881 and Jan. 1882, containing Plates XXVIII-XXXIII, and pages 107–118. Plate 18 is perhaps the first in which the authors have introduced a bird—being the head of the Purple Martin protruding from the orifice of the C gourds so frequently put up in the South for its accommodation. This figure shows that Mrs. Jones can draw and paint a bird as well as its nest and eggs—and we should not be surprised if other birds appeared with their nests in future numbers. The temptation thus to enlarge upon the original plan of the work must be at times almost irresistible. Plate 29 is Euspiza americana, the simple nest of which gives less scope for the artist’s skill than the elaborately finished surroundings of the Song Sparrow’s nest of Plate 30. The extremes of size and coloring of the eggs of Melospiza are well portrayed, as are those of the Thrasher, the rough exterior of whose nest fairly bristles on Plate 31. One of the most artistic pictures of the whole series is the lowly nest of Helminthophaga pinus (Plate 32), with its characteristic surroundings at the foot of a slight bush clump. It is interesting to note in this case the curious “protective mimicry” by which the nest resembles a bunch of dead leaves and dried bark strips blown and caught among the roots of a bramble. One would have sharp eyes who would at first glance see it was something else. The last plate (33) represents the nest of the Summer Tanager, furnishing a good illustration of a “saddled” nest—by which we mean one placed directly upon a large horizontal bough, only confined by a few slight upright twigs. The text consists, as usually heretofore, of a folio to each plate, and continues to be prepared by Dr. Howard E. Jones. We find it to be a perfectly reliable account of the objects represented. The authors evidently have spared no pains or expense in maintaining the high standard of excellence they set for themselves at the beginning.—E. C.
Prof. Macoun’s Report of Exploration.[[53]]—We hear so seldom from our friends of the Dominion, as far as ornithology is concerned, that the present contribution would be welcome as an index of their activity, even were it of less importance than we find it to be. It is difficult to cite the brochure correctly, as it has no title-page and bears no date or place of publication, and may be an “extra” of a portion of some more extensive government publication. However this may be, the pamphlet which reaches us through Professor Macoun’s kind attentions is the report of the Surveyor General to the Minister of the Interior, consisting chiefly (pp. 8–40) of Professor Macoun’s own report of his explorations during the summer of 1880 of that portion of the Souris River Valley lying within British Territory and of the adjoining region to the west and north—that is to say, north of our territories of Dakota and Montana. The region is one seldom examined even incidentally in the interests of ornithology, and the present paper possesses decided value, as the observer appeared to have paid special attention to the distribution of birds in the wide area traversed. After a résumé of the leading ornithological features of the region is presented an annotated list of the species secured, 109 in number. This list may be profitably examined in connection with the article on the birds observed along the parallel of 49° by the Northern Boundary Commission in 1873 and 1874. We feel at liberty to call attention to some manuscript alterations made by the author in our copy. For Coturniculus passerinus read Zonotrichia albicollis; for Myiarchus crinitus, read Tyrannus verticalis; for Archibuteo lagopus, read A. ferrugineus, the range of which is thus carried beyond any point hitherto given; for Tringa canutus read T. bairdi; for Podilymbus podiceps, read Podiceps californicus. We could wish the report were better printed; but poor presswork is the usual fate of public documents, English or American.—E. C.
Knowlton’s Revised List of the Birds of Brandon, Vermont.[[54]]—This is a briefly annotated list of 149 species occurring in the immediate vicinity of Brandon. The author says: “A few more species doubtless occur, especially among the Waders and Swimmers, but as they have never been actually noted, they have been rigidly excluded.” An examination of the List shows that, with perhaps one or two exceptions, he has succeeded in adhering to this principle, the result being a very reliable list as far as it goes. The further application of this rule doubtless accounts for the fact that many of the species are not stated to breed that yet no doubt do so.
The chief interest of the List lies in its bearing upon the extent of the Alleghanian fauna in the Champlain valley. The breeding of such species as Dendrœca striata and Zonotrichia leucophrys, the occurrence of Perisoreus canadensis and Picoides arcticus, and the absence of Ortyx virginiana and one or two other species, are almost the only exceptions to an otherwise strictly Alleghanian fauna.
A number of species, especially among the migrants, would seem, from what the writer says, to be by no means numerous at this locality, and no doubt his statements are strictly in accordance with his experience. We have reason to believe, however, that a more thorough search might reveal greater numbers of some of these species.
It is to be regretted that Mr. Knowlton’s List could not have appeared elsewhere than in the columns of a newspaper, both for the sake of giving it a more permanent form, and of avoiding the typographical errors inevitable under such circumstances. It may be worth while here to mention that by a slip of the pen Mr. Knowlton has recorded Wilson’s Plover (Ochthodromus wilsonius) instead of Wilson’s Snipe.—C. F. B.
Krukenberg on the Coloring Matter of Feathers.[[55]]—This paper, the first of a series, seems to be the product of more careful work than previous publications on the subject. The author first states positively that the color may change after growth, the feather becoming lighter or darker as the case may be, but postpones deciding whether the change is the result of external or internal causes. Judging from the effects of stimulants upon Canaries with fully grown feathers, I have no doubt that internal changes play an important part. At least, almost white Canaries will become very yellow, gray sometimes appearing, if properly fed.
Turacin, a red or purple-violet pigment, found in the feathers of the Musophagidæ is first considered. Attention was first called to this pigment by Verreaux, who found that the purple-violet in the wing feathers of Corythaix albicristatus was destroyed by wetting, but returned on drying. Later it was observed that the water in which these birds bathed became colored dark red. Facts worthy of consideration by all systematic ornithologists. Turacin is soluble in weak alkalies, insoluble in acids, and slightly soluble in water, especially if warm. It may be precipitated as an amorphous red powder by the action of acids. In solution the spectrum of Turacin is marked by two absorption bands, between D and E, much resembling those of oxyhemoglobin. Carbon dioxide and oxygen, however, have no effect on the color or the spectrum. As to its chemical composition the author differs from his predecessors in that he denies the presence of nitrogen, though copper and iron are both present in considerable quantities. By the action of concentrated sulphuric acid two products are formed, named α Turaceïn and β Turaceïn by the author.
Zoönerythrin, another red pigment of much wider distribution, is found in red feathers, as those of the Flamingo and the Cardinal Grosbeak. It is soluble in alcohol, ether, bisulphide of carbon, and the like, from which it can be precipitated by evaporation. The solution of this pigment is often favored by first digesting the feather in a trypsin or pepsin solution. Unlike Turacin, Zoönerythrin has no absorption bands, but all is absorbed beyond E.
Zoöfulvin, a yellow pigment of much the same solubility as the preceding, occurs in the yellow feathers of the European Oriole, the Canary, and the like. The spectrum has two bands between F and G which vary in position according to the solvent used.