'.'. Aug. S, 1894. Miiiu'lifster, Midi. A specimen ol this rare species was 

 l)roui;lit to Mr. L. Wiiitney Watkins in- a neiglil)(>r's boy. Mr. Watl\ins at once 

 w role nie of tiie jtecnliar (iarl< Least Hittern that he had received. I suspected its 

 iilciitiiy and re(|uested tliat lie send it to nie for examination. It had, however, 

 l)een forwarded to Mr. W. H. Barrows, Agl. Coll., Mich. He determined it to he 

 Cory's Bittern. It will he noted that six of those known have been taken in 

 I''l<iri(la and the other three north of the latitude of the northern houndaiy of Indi- 

 ana. The peculiar extent of tiie range of Kirtland's Warbler, as noted last year 

 liefore this Academy, 'finds a somewhat parallel peculiarity in this Sjiecies. 



The l)ird may he reasoMai)ly expected to occur in Indiana. Its dark color 

 gives it the name of " l>lack Bittern'' in Florida, to distinguish it from the 

 "Least Bittern," which is called "Brown Bittei'n.'' They are about the same 

 size. 



Smitli's Longspur, the Short-tailed Marsh Wren and nest, the Black Kail, 

 ha\e been very kindly deposited in my collection to verify the notes. 

 '22. Saxicola inuinthe. Wheatear. 



.V specinu-n of this species was shot from among a Hock of titlark> at Ann 

 Arbor, Mich., October 4, 18!)4, by .Adolphe B. Covert. The specimen is now in 

 the LI. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, I ). ( ., No. lo5,06S, male, imm:iture. (Tiie 

 Nidiologist, Vol. II., No. 3, Nov., 1S!I4. pp. 42-43.) 



23. Alias penel ope {\^\n\\.). Widgeon: European Widgeon. 



The European Widgeon has not before been reported fidtn Indiana. The 

 first account ol its occurrence is published by Mr. Ruthven Deane, in '"The 

 Auk," Vol. XII, Ap:il, 1S!*5, p. 171>: " The specimen in <|uestion was taken on 

 tlif Kankakee River, at l*>nglish Lake, hid., April 13, 1S!)3, l)y Mr. Landon 

 Hoyt, of Chicago, 111., and is now in his possession. When shot it was in cfunpany 

 with a Hock of Baldpates [Aiuik annricana).''^ 



The specii's has occasionally been taken in America, but 1 think its records 

 ill this vicinitv are two in Illinois and one in Wisconsin. 



24. KctopiiitiK tnic/raloriiiK {L'lun.). Passenger Pigeon. 



In 188S Mr. Wm. Brewster visited the parts of Michigan well known as the 

 breeding grounds of tliest' birds. The lliglit was small, compared with what was 

 reported in fornu'r years. They passed north of the lower peninsula to breed. 

 At that time Mr. Brewster was of opinion that there were enough pigeons left to 

 rcitoek the lU'St, |M-ovided they could be protected by ade(jnate laws. Whether 

 or not that can be done is doubtful. If we may judge by the past legislation and 

 its enft)rceinent on behalf of our native game, it seems to me hardly jirobable that 

 it will be done. Tlu' last passage of pigeons that could be diLrnitied with the 



