48 [April, 1846. 



subsistence. It makes its nest under the tiled roofs of the houses of the towns, 

 numbers under one roof, and shows but little fear when approached. I have 

 scarcely ever visited a mission without disturbing some of these birds, which 

 were roosting about the altar, chandelier, &c, of the chapel, and hearing 

 the bendition of the Padre for drinking all the oil out of the lamps. Every 

 where in California, when speaking of it, we are sure to be told of its pro- 

 pensity for drinking the sacred oil ; with what truth I cannot say. 



The specimens which I have examined agree in every respect with those 

 from this side of the continent, and present the constant characters given 

 by Audubon to distinguish it from the European species. 



(To be continued.) 



The following gentlemen were elected Correspondents of 

 the Academy. 



William M. Baird, of Reading, Pa. 



William Gourlie, Jr., Esq., of Glasgow, Scotland. 



Nicolai Aall, of Christiana, Sweden, 



And Mr. Lewis Germain, of Burlington, N. J., was 

 elected a Member of the same. 



