92 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1885. 



Phila. Acad., iii, 1846-47, p. 200). Nor is mention made in this 

 paper of any particular specimen. 



In his special report upon the increase of the ornithological 

 collection during 1847, Cassin, while mentioning the incorpora- 

 tions of the collection made by Gambel in California, enumerates 

 Lanius elegans as among the species " especially interesting," 

 but no allusion to any specimen is made. 



It is not before ten years later that we encounter a description 

 and special notice referable to the specimen in question, when 

 Cassin in his " Notes on the North American species of Archi- 

 buteo and Lanius " (Proc. Phila. Acad., ix, 1857, ! p. 213), gives 

 the characters of Lanius elegans Swainson, which evidently are 

 taken from the bird now before me. Regarding the distribution 

 of this species, he says : " This appears to be exclusively a 

 western and northern species, the only specimens of which that 

 we have ever seen are in the Museum of the Philadelphia Academy. 

 Our specimen was brought from California by Dr. Gambel." It 

 will be noted that he speaks of several specimens in the Academy's 

 Museum. 



Prof. Baird, in the "Birds of North America," page 327, 

 simultaneously describes the same specimen under the heading 

 of Golly rio excubitoroides. He refers to it as " Collected in 

 California by Dr. Gambel," and remarks : " This bird has been 

 referred to L. elegans of Swainson, but seems to differ in some 

 appreciable points." 



The specimen was figured on plate lxxv. 



A more detailed description of the specimen is given by the 

 same author in his " Review of American Birds," page 444 

 (1866), but he seems to have become doubtful as to the origin of 

 the specimen, since the locality is given as " California?" and in 

 the text he says that it is " labeled as having been collected in 

 California by Dr. Gambel." Though " by no means satisfied that 

 the bird is the true Lanius elegans of Swainson," the author 

 introduces it under the heading Gollurio elegans. It may be 

 remarked that no mention is made of other specimens. 



Next we find the specimen mentioned in Cooper's " Ornith- 

 ology of California," edited by Prof. Baird. On page 140 is 



1 Published in 1858 ; the paper was recommended for publication at the 

 meeting, Dec. 29, 1857, cf. p. 210. 



