The Helena independent., 1893-12-31
STUDYING ABOUT BIRDS.
Ia Valuable Collection Of Three Thou
sand Given to Harvard
College.

N How Mr.. Scott Conceived q Pane
on the Flight OF Birds at
~ Night.
Different Methods Of Mouatins spsoime On
for the N Musoum-Efisct OF Eavirou
81 meAt Upon Birds.
Y One OF the most valuable additions whicl
has ever been made to the Agassiz Mu
Scum of Comparative Zoology at Cam
) bridge is collection OF 8 900 birds--mai
by Mr.. w. e. d. Scott-from the United
States and West Indies. About 100 o
these are mounted, the remainder beins
In the form technically known to natural
lists as bird skins--that Is, they look sim
! ply like dead birds, that can be mounted
: at any time. Ever since Mr.. Scott grad
uated from Harvard college in 1873 this
\ plan of making an pathological collec-
tion has been the great object of his life,
and to give this collection to the Agassi7
4 museum has been his desire, which is now
, accomplished.
Mr.. Scott is, through his writings, one
OF the best known collectors of birds in the
world. He was one of the original MEM
bers OF the Nutal club of Cambridge and
his first paper before that society, entitled
A Partial List of the Summer Birds of
Kanawha County" was the first of the
series which are now regularly published
by the society. His first work, and one
that attracted attention in the whole Or
Astrological world, as we'll as the atten-
tion of astronomers, was brought about
by what seems now to be singular coin
cidenoe. Happening'to be at one time in
the observatory connected with Princeton
college, he was invited to look through
the telescope at the moon. While doing
30, he'noticed what seemed to be num-
bcr OF small objects fitting across the lu-
minous disk. He asked what they were
and was informed that it was a common
occurrence to.see these birds flying across
the range of the telescope. So common was
It, in fact, that the astronomers had paid
no attention to the matter, but Of course
such an occurrence invited the attention
OF man the main object OF whose life was
the observance of every point pertaining
to birds and bird life.
chad heard time and again farmers and
bnckwoodsmen speak OF the sound of birds
Tying by night, and here was an actual
proof Of the fact, as we'll as chance to
make mathematical calculation on the
Cubject, for, upon examination of the sub
ject, it was found that, given the focal
length of the lens and the other data
which the astronomer could furnish, the
flight of the birds could BE- determined
with some degree OF accuracy. And not
only this, but the kind of bird could be
determined, because, as every one knows,
each bird has its own peculiar method of
flight, which could readily be determined
against the bright disk OF the moon through
telescope.
The final result OF this circumstance was
paper upon the subject, which was trans
lated into nearly every modern language,
and this method is now known as the
"Scott method of determining the fight
OF birds by night" So highly are Mr..
Scott's opinions valued upon matters per-
tanning to birds that the British museum
recently bought q collection made by him,
of some $500 Florida birds, at his own
valuation, and without even seeing the
collection. |
1t was here in Florida that the writer |
met MT. scott, surrounded by his ,collec- |
lions and implements for stuffing and |
Keeplng the BIRDS. For years Mr.. Scott |
mas made as his speciality the study of
FLORIDA birds and has been indefatigable
ID MS efforts to make his collection COM
plete. He has now removed them to his !
nome IN Pocantlco Hills, N. Y. The first
pOlnG Wnlch the visitor notices, on seeing