Mearns's Description of Unusually Developed Species. 71 



head is very much broadened, and the black of the chin much lightened. 

 The top of the head and neck has an ochraceous suffusion, and the cinna- 

 mon-color of the back extends into, and partially subdues the ash of the 

 rump. 



4. Helminthophaga peregrina, (Wilson) Cabanis. Tennessee War- 

 bler. — I have a curious albinistic variety of this species (No. 92 <J, 

 May, 1874, E. A. M.). It was shot among the blossoms of a plum-tree, 

 where it was seen skipping about in the liveliest manner. Its head is 

 pure white, except a very slight sulphury suffusion on the crown ; the 

 residue of the plumage is much lightened, and with occasional patches of 

 sulphury-white feathers on the back. 



5. Dendroeca pennsylvanica, (Linne) Baird. Chestnut-sided War- 

 bler. — A spring female of this species (No. 1437 £, May 19, 1877, 

 E. A. M.) seems to have passed by its spring moult, since it is still in the 

 autumnal plumage, except for the appearance of a few black streaks on 

 the back. The plumage is worn and dingy, and exhibits no trace of the 

 chestnut side-stripe. 



6. Corvus americanus, Audubon. Common Crow. — There is a 

 peculiarity of the plumage of the Crow, which I have noticed in a num- 

 ber of specimens shot during the breeding season, in May. All specimens 

 shot at this season do not exhibit this peculiarity, and some show it in 

 a more marked degree than others. These specimens are characterized by 

 the entire absence of the violet gloss on the wings and tail, those parts 

 being of a lustreless, purplish-brown color. Some specimens have the 

 concealed bases of the feathers of a fine, violet-glossed black, and the 

 residue of a rich bronze hue. 



My attention was first attracted to this state of plumage by two birds 

 which I shot in the very act of devouring the eggs of the Night Herons, 

 in the heronry on Constitution Island, in the Hudson River, on the 23d 

 of May, 1877. These birds were extreme examples. This condition of 

 plumage may not be limited to the breeding season, for I have a specimen 

 shot in winter, which has one of the rectrices of a rich, purplish bronze- 

 color ; but I found this plumage prevailing in the greater number of speci- 

 mens shot during the last week in May. 



7. Picus pubescens, Linne. Downy Woodpecker. — A female of 

 this species (No. 449 9> February 26, 1875, E. A. M.) presents a very un- 

 usual appearance. It still retains a number of red feathers on both sides 

 of the nape. The red feathers on the crown are said to be characteristic 

 of the young female. It is interesting to know that the red feathers are 

 retained so late in the season. The red patches on the nape were so con- 

 spicuous in the living bird as to cause it to be shot. 



8. Myiodioctes mitratus, (Gmelin) Audubon. Hooded Warbler. — 

 Mr. C. Hart Merriam, in his late "Review of the Birds of Connecticut" 

 (pp. 25 and 29), rectifies an error in the recent descriptions of the females 

 of this species. I wish to add my testimony to his conclusions, " that the 



