VOL. XVIII, PP 121-126 APRIL 18, 1905 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE' 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NOTES ON THE NAMES OF CERTAIN NORTH AMER 

 ICAN BIRDS. 



BY E. W. NELSON. 



During my recent study of the Mexican birds in the collec 

 tion of the Biological Survey, some facts have come to light 

 which appear to necessitate changes in the nomenclature of 

 several species. 



I am indebted to Dr. Chas. W. Richmond of the National 

 Museum for calling my attention to the literature in some of the 

 cases mentioned below, and to Mr. J. H. Riley of the National 

 Museum for his courtesy in helping me with the comparisons of 

 the turkey buzzards. Acknowledgments are also due Mr. Wit- 

 mer Stone of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 and Mr. Outram Bangs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 for the loan of material. 



SULA LEUCOG ASTRA Boddaert. 



In the original description of Pelecanus sula (Syst. Nat. ed. 

 12, I, p. 218, 1766) Linnaeus characterizes it as less than half 

 the size of bassana, with the body white, the outer part of the 

 primaries and secondaries black, and the face and feet red. 



This description in no way fits the bird recognized by most 

 later authors under the name of Sula sula, which has the head, 

 neck and upperparts (including the tail) dark sooty brown ; 



19 PROC. BIOL. Soc. WASH., VOL. XVII, 1905. (121) 



