56 



January 19, 1842. 



The President in the Chair. 



Dr. S. L. Abbot exhibited some birds received from Rev. 

 J. H. Linsley of Stratford, Con. on which he made a writ- 

 ten Report. 



The first was the Swamp Sparrow, (Fringilla Georgiana Nutt. 

 Ammodramus palustris, Audub.) one of our most common species, 

 but, being young, it differed slightly from the descriptions in the 

 books. The Black and Yellow, or Spotted Warbler (Sylvia ma- 

 culosa, Nutt. Sylvicola maculosa, Audub.) The Crested Wren, 

 (Regulus calendulas) young of the first year, before the character- 

 istic vermilion spot on the crown has appeared. 



Dr. A. announced the following birds which he had pro- 

 cured, and which had been mounted for the Society : 



Fuligula mollissima, Eider Duck, male. 



Anser Canadensis, Canada Goose, adult male. 



Uria Alle, Little Auk, or Sea-Dove. 



Of the latter, Dr. A. remarked, that it is a very hardy bird, fre- 

 quenting the most northern regions, and procuring its prey among 

 the tumbling ice. 



Mr. Couthouy remarked that the sailors had the superstition 

 respecting this bird, which they are commonly supposed to enter- 

 tain respecting the Stormy Petrel, but which, as applied to the 

 latter bird, he had not noticed, viz. that it is a prognosticator of 

 storms. 



Dr. Abbot exhibited the stomach of the Cinereous Owl, 

 containing a rounded mass, which, upon being opened, 

 was found to consist of the bones and hair of several mice, 

 showing that these birds reject, undigested, such parts of 

 their prey. 



Dr. Henry C, Perkins, of Newburyport, offered to the 

 Society casts of some fossil bones lately found at the Wal- 

 lamet settlement on Columbia River, supposed to be those 

 of a Megatheroid animal. 



The larger bones are fragments of the humerus, strongly resem- 



