128 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



Notes on some of the North American Birds in the Boston 



Museum Collection, now in the Museum of 



Comparative Zoology. 



Alle alle (L<inn.). 



In a foot-note on page 94 of the ninth vokime of Wilson's " American 

 Ornithology," Philadelphia, 1S14, Orel refers to one specimen of AIca 

 aUc in the Peale ]\Iuseum that differs from the rest in having a white 

 spot below as well as above each eye. One of the three specimens in 

 the Boston Museum collection (M. C. Z., No. 67811) has this spot and 

 is very likely the specimen Ord alluded to. Wilson's figure (pi. 74, fig. 

 5) shows a white mark both above and below the eye and may have 

 been drawn and coloured from the same specimen. 



Gelochelidon nilotica (Linn.). 



Sterna aranea Wils., 8, 14, p. 159. 



According to Ord (2d. ed. of Wilson, 8, 1824, p. 159), Wilson's type 

 of Sterna aranea in the Peale Museum was lost. Titian R. Peale suc- 

 ceeded in procuring another specimen which became the subject 

 of Bonaparte's remarks on this species in his "Observations on the 

 Nomenclature of Wilson's Ornithology," Philadelphia, 1826. The 

 single specimen in the Boston Museum collection (M. C. Z. No. 67812) 

 is very probably the bird examined by Bonaparte. 



Rhyxchops nigra Linn. 



M. C. Z. No. 67813. One specimen, which I think is without doubt 

 the original of Wilson's figure, 7, 1813, pi. 60, fig. 4. 



Oceanodroma leucorrhoa (Vieill.). 



M. C. Z. No. 67814. Probably the specimen drawn by Titian R. 

 Peale to illustrate ProceUaria leachii Temm. for Bonaparte's paper 

 "An Account of four Species of Stormy Petrels," Journ. Acad. Nat. 

 Sci. Phila., 3, 1824, p. 229, pi. 9. 



