Mr. D. S. Ebersold of Oceanus, Florida, collector of natural history specimens—his ad is on another page of this magazine—was once an Iowa boy. He followed the plow, hoed corn and did other rural work in Butler Co., and has many relatives there now.
The Naturalist and Collector of Abington, Ill., edited by P. Wilber Shoup, has been discontinued as it did not receive sufficient patronage to warrant its continuance.
Mr. Paul Bartsch of Burlington, Iowa, reports the taking of a Barn Owl at that place on Nov. 22, 1895.
The American Ornithologists’ Union held their Thirteenth Congress at Washington, D. C., on Nov. 12-15, 1895, with an average attendance of fifty ornithologists. The officers elected by the Union for the year, were as follows: President, William Brewster; Vice Presidents, Robert Ridgway and C. Hart Merriam; Secretary, John H. Sage; Treasurer, William Dutcher.
Dr. A. E. Foote, the distinguished scientist of Philadelphia, died Oct. 11, 1895, in Atlanta, Ga., to which place he had gone to take charge of the Pennsylvania mineral exhibit.
Dr. Foote was born in Hamilton, N. Y., Feb. 6, 1846. Soon after graduating at the State University of Michigan in 1867, he was appointed assistant professor of chemistry and mineralogy in the Iowa State College, which place he held for five years, being very successful as a teacher. In 1875 he moved to Philadelphia, and began the building up of his now world wide business in minerals and scientific books. He was married in 1872, to Miss Augusta Matthews of Iowa, who, with two sons and a daughter, survives him. His business will be continued by Warren G. Foote, a son of the deceased, as manager.
Mr. J. H. Brown, Iowa City, Ia., writes: “I shot three Greater Redpolls on Jan. 11, and one the 13th inst. They were undoubtedly of the variety Acanthis linaria rostrata (Coues). I have never seen mention of this variety occurring in the state before.”
Mr. John V. Crone has a live Snowy Owl which was wing-tipped and captured near Marathon, Iowa, about Dec. 20. He is thriving on a diet of meat of different kinds, including sparrow, turkey, grouse and pork; diversified by occasional bites from his captor’s fingers.
Prof. Gus. Walters, Cedar Falls, Iowa, writes: “We are taking some interest in birds here. Have captured the Purple Finch and Rusty Grackle. Secured a fine Meadow Lark, Dec. 27—rather late for him.”
The Northwestern Ornithological Association held its second annual meeting at Portland, Ore., Dec. 27, 1895. The forenoon was devoted to business; the afternoon to reading of papers and election of officers. The officers chosen were; Wm. L. Finly, Pres.; Ellis F. Hadley, 1st Vice Pres.; Guy Striker, 2d Vice Pres.; Arthur L. Pope, Sec.; D. C. Bord, Treas.