• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

I I I J — ! Ji^NUAKY, 1889. ]. VOL. IV, KANSAS CITY. MJHSUURI, NO and there is every reason to believe that they were born tipon Kansas soil. The above article is part of a letter from a Tiawrence, Kan. correspondent to a Kansas City weekly. The following is an extract from an ar- ticle that appeared in the same paper a few days later: A portion of '•the only herd of Buf- faloes ill the \\o!-l(r' arrived in Kansas City from St. Paul la^t iii-ht. These ani- mals area part of a herd of forty Buffa- loes which the well known breeder Cox'nioi-ant. City, has ••Buffalo .Jones" of Garden 229. Pholacrocorax carbo. (2^inn.) [642.] KANSAS. recently purchased in M:'.nitoba. Ilab. AllU'itic coasts of Eiii'opc Hiid Anicri- THE UNIVERSITY OF ica, sontli in winter on tlie co:ist of the I'+ii- F. Carver, the noted shot, con- Dr. W. ted states, casually, to tlie Carolinas. ceiving the idea of exhibiting them here, Kecent Notable Additions to it. The Common Cormorant is very gener- built a strong corral on Walnut street, ally distributed throughout nearly the and accompanied by Will Joiius, a bro- entire northern hemisphere. It iDreed.s One of tlie niostimpoi tant events in tlie ther of ''Buffalo" and fourteen cow boys ill the northern parts of Europe and Asia soieiititio annals of the university of Kau. and in Xoi th America from the Bay of aimed with huge clubs, undertook to has just transpired in the return of Pro- Funday to Gi eenlaiid. The C'oriiiorants drive the buffaloes- from the cars to the are curious birds ot strange flgure; the tessor L. L.Dyche, from Texas, bringing corral up town, Well, they and 5(10 outer surface of the plumage in most with him eleven complete Buffalo skins other fellows chased those brutes all species normally is of a dark lustrous for the university cabinets. These skins greeiiish-lilack, but subject to great over town, and when morning came had have been carefully prepared for tax- changes, makhig their study very diffi- succeeded in getting all but three in the cult. eyes as a rule are green, a idermic purposes, and a choice selection The corral where they remained several color rarely seen in birds. They feed from them will Foon be mounted for ex- weeks. principally ui'on flsh and their voracity hibi^u at Snow Hall of Natural History, is proverbial, 'i'his species breefis in vast Mr. .Tones has over one hundred ButPi- making with the ma^rnifiooni- "Montma iiumbersoii the rocky shores of Ijabrador loes on his ranch near Garden City. and Newfonndland making the nest up- l)air, already mounted, the finest group of ; With the exception of a few isolated on the top of ledges or on projections Biiftalo in the world. It is a great piece specimens these are the only Buffaloes in and in crevices of precipitous rocks, of good fortune that these last survivors which arecovei'ed with the excrement of the world and on this herd is placed the of the Southern herd of Bison have been the birds. Itiscomposed of sticks, kelp sole dependence of perpetuating the all Coraioraiits. secured for Kansas, and the state is to be and seaweed. lake the stock and recreating the race. this species is gregarious and breed in congratulated that Professor Dyche was communities. 'I'hey are all known un- able to successfully conipete with agents der the common name of Shag. Vermont Notes. of two of the largest museums in the Mr. Frazar met with a coloiu' of this in the United States, the National Museum at On (he seventh of last May, I was out Cormorant company with Double- creasted species on the coast of Labra- Washington, and the American Museum collecting eggs, and passing under a dor. Many of the nests contained large of Natural History, in New York city. stone bridge, caught sight of a Plurbe's young, .Tune 19. Nests of the Double- Being on the ground in person, he was nest. Climbing up I flushed a Song Spar- crested Cormorant were placed wherever able to eft'ect an advantageous purchase row, and found two Sparrow eggs and the ledges would hold them, while those of the skins, and the university will now one Phrebe egg in the nest. I did not of the common species were built close to enjoy the fame and prestage of possess- disturb the eggs. I saw a Phrebe sitt- the top. Thenestsof the Common Cormor- ing another attraction beyond the reach ing on the fence not far awaJ^ Some ant usuallj^ contained four or five eggs, of Eastern institutions. The skins not ten days later, passing by the bridge, 1 and several sets were taken of six. The used for mounting, can be advantageous- discovered the Sparrow dead on the eggs' average larger than those of the ly exchanged for the skins of other mam- ground and the Phoebe sitting on the Double-crested ; the sizes var}' from 2. .38 mals, which it would be impossible to nest. Climbing up, the Phoebe flew to 2.G5 long by 1 .29 to 1 .c.O broad. Color, obtain in any other waj^ away. The nest contained two young pale greenish; form, elliptical Fn^m The ranchman from \yhom these ani- Phoebes and two young Sparrows. I do Prtif. Davif's Nrsts and EiJi/s of North American Birds, Srd edition., by the au- mals were obtained, has for several years not know whether the Pho'be killed thor's kindness. been a constant observer of the Sonthern the Sparrow or not. herd of Buffalo, and has regretfully On August 15, 18S8, while digging out 34,oG0,000,000, 000,000.000 to 1. watched their disappearance. in an old gravel gradual Bank Swallow's nests AVhat a vast difference there is be- Last autumn only twenty-nine individ- pit. I was surprised to see a Bluebird fly tween the size of the animalcula^ which uals were left of what was once an im- from a hole near by. On investigating only appears like a visable point, when mense herd, numbering tens of thou- I found six fresh Bluebird eggs. The magnified 500,000 times, and the whale, sands, and fairly blackening the plains of entrance to the nest was fourteen which is 100 feet long and 20 feet broad Western Kansas. Since October, twcnty- inches deep, and the nest itself was com- The proportion between the two is 34,560 trillions to I.— Dr. Dick. tive are known to have been killed, and posed of dry grass and a few sticks. the ronaining four, all of them females, I never found the Bluebird nesting "Wanted to Exchange ; Cones' "'Birds have probably also perished. The elev- this way before. I would like to bear of the North-west" for Coue.s' ''Birds of en specimens secured for the university from collectors in other localities. the Colorado Valley.'" were killed very near the Kansas line, H. II. B., Castleton, Vt. Wm. SxEPnENSOx, Ft. Verdi, A. T. ; Californianus displavs a great fond- ness for Rattlesnakes. Basking in the N. B. Ex. Ad. semi-tropic afteinoon sun"s fierce lays, they soon fall asleep and at such times are usually foinid by our long-tailed friend, the Road-runner, who immediate- ly proceeds to snrrfumd one ^^•ith a correll North Am. Birds, of cacti leaves, f his done, he hops into the pen and, administering ^Mr. Rattler a FOR vigorous peck, hops out again. The snake thus rudely di-turbed from his siesta, (xaococcys califoniiainis (Lkss.)- awakes, f tniou'^ at the interruption, and SIX DOLLARS. WritKMI fill- I'lli: NATUllALIST. finding himself surrounded by the cor- The subji'ct of our sketch is familiar- rell vigorously assalts it. Wounded by ly known as Ground (Juckoo, Chaparral the prickers he becomes blind with rage Containing Concise Descriptions of Every is the largest and strikes again and again, until, cover- Cock, or Road-i uniier. He iSpecics of Birtls IviioM ii in North America. and most conspicuous if not the briuht- ed with cacti leaves, he succumbs, a vic- e^t colored representative of the order tim of his own folly. By Robert Ricigway, COCOYGKS of which less than two Tho R>ol-ruiiier pro'iably gains this Curator Department of Birds, United dozen siiecies are found in North particular name from its fleetness of States iNational Museum, America, and uf these Ornitliologists do foot, often taxing the speed of a horse Profusely Illustrated with 464 Outline Cuts of the Generic Characters, and a Portrait of tht not credit a dozen as being fouml and to its utmost to keep up with it, until, I;t9 Spencer F. Baird, breeding within the limits of the United tired of the sport, he declares the race Pl ice, Post Paid, States. oft", by turning suddeidy to the right §7.50 Is tlie largest and most convenient The A. O. V. Code, and Prof. Coues or left and concealing himself in the book for [let erinining tlie character of American cacti thickets that abound listing nil. e each ; Mr. Kidgway describ- inininierable birds that has been issued in this country. It is the most valuable reference volume for of tlie road. ing eleven in his recent woik Rigdway's on either side correct scicntilic data reaarding- general Manual of Nortii American Birds. 'Ihis J. W., Mexico. :Mo. character, nomenclature, the natural liab- 11 at, and related knowledge. It Is indis- order is now divided into tliree families jicnsable to naturalists and to sportsmen.— Eggs Almost (liiveii Away.

Load more

  90

Copy Link