64< [June, 



maries dusky, edged with white on the outer vanes ; greater and lesser wing 

 coverts hair-brown, also slightly tipped with whitish. Lower tail-coverts hair- 

 brown, broadly edged and tipped with whitish. Tail of twelve feathers, chesnut ; 

 the two nniddle ones loose-webbed, the three exterior tipped with white. 



There is little difference between the sexes; the female is perhaps a trifle less 

 in size, and its general markings are more obscure. 



0. curviroslris is rather common about Matamoras, (Mexico.) The song of 

 the male is a clear warble, not unlike the native notes of the mocking bird, but 

 he has neither the imitative powers nor the volume of voice of the latter. On 

 the Rio Grande this bird nested in the hedge rows near the farm houses, and was 

 constantly seen perched upon their roofs, singing with much volubility and all 

 the familiarity of the house-wren. 



CoLUMBA leucnptera, Linn. 

 C. Trudeauii, or Texan Turtle /)oi'e,'Audubon. 



This very graceful bird — one specimen of which only Audubon mentions as 

 having been received or seen by him — was exceedingly abundant at Matamoras, 

 in JMay and June, (1816,) large flocks daily feeding in our camp, and with re- 

 markable confidence approaching quite near the tents. But although common in 

 Mexico, I have some doubts as to ihe propriety of its being denominated a Texan 

 Dive; for 1 never saw it in Eastern Texas, neither did I while on an extensive 

 hunting excursion, which embraced the country along the Nueces River for 

 seventy miles above Corpus Christi, see a single individual of this species, 

 although game of every description was most abundant. Nor did I see one on 

 the whole route from the Neuces to the Rio Grande, until we crossed the latter 

 river into Mexico. Mr. Audubon's specimen was, therefore, possibly but a 

 straggler from the neighboring Republic. 



About the last of June they disappeared from the vicinity of Matamoras, and 

 passed probably to the interior. Tn January following I shot a few stragglers, 

 on small streams, near the Sierra Madre. 



For the table, this bird is far superior to C. Carolinensis, the breast being 

 larger and fuller, and the meat of quite a delicate flavor. And in its style of 

 flight it resembles C JE/zas more than C. Carolinensis. 



The female differs but little from the male, except that the metallic reflections 

 on the neck, &c. &c. are less vivid. 



The Committee to whom was referred Mr. Conrad's " Additional 

 descriptions of Tertiary fossils of the United States," reported in favor 

 of publication in the Journal. 



ELECTION. 



Edward Roberts, Esq., of Philadelphia, was elected a Member, and 

 Frederick Tiedemann, M. D., of Heidelburg, a Correspondent of the 

 Academy. 



