THE PASSENGER PIGEON IN PENNSYLVANIA 20'i 



quite a few stray birds with a nesting body, either 

 too young to nest, or lost birds that had been scattered 

 around the country and just happened to find the main 

 body and, of course, these strays or young birds, would 

 not have any curd ui their craws. So we can't be- 

 lieve that the Passenger Pigeon has become extinct. 

 But they will never nest in Pennsylvania again for 

 there is not forests enough left for hawks to nest in, 

 so say nothing about a body of pigeons. 



C. W. DICKINSON. 

 Jan. 25, 1917. Smethport, Pa. 



Correct Scientific Name. 



(From ^'Science," Nov. 1, 1918.) 



The technical name of the Passenger Pigeon has 

 for many years been Bctopistes migratorius (Lin- 

 naeus) (Columba migratoria Linnaeus, *'Syst. Nat.," 

 Ed. 12, I., 1766, P. 285). There is, however, another 

 name Columba canadensis Linnaeus ("Syst. Nat.," 

 Ed. 12, L, 1766, P. 284), based on the Turtur canaden- 

 sis of Brisson ("Ornith,." L, 1760, P. 118), that needs 

 consideration. Reference to Brisson shows con- 

 clusively that his detailed description is that of the 

 female Passenger Pigeon, as he mentions particularly 

 the rufescent tail-spots. Both Columba canadensis 

 Linnaeus and CoUimba migratoria Linnaeus are of 

 equal pertinence, and there seems to be no reason for 

 the rejection of the former, since both the Interna- 



