Burns — On Alexander Wilson. 



61 



Of Kentucky, where Audubon secured his specimen, so 

 positive a statement is perhaps not warranted, the recent 

 discovery in that state of the nest of Bachman's Warbler in- 

 dicating that our knowledge of its bird life is still far from 

 complete." 



Fig. 5. 



'^''^si^^l^ *"' ■ " 



Black Oystercatcher (Hd'matdpiis hachmani). 



A beach nest, the eggs lyhig among rounded pebbles and fragments 



of shells, a piece of driftwood to mark the spot. 



Destruction Island. 



We are dependant upon the writings of Wilson and xA.udu- 

 bon for the little we know of this bird. In all the later 

 attempts toward dissipating the uncertainty enveloping this 

 hypothetical species by field work, a lamentable lack of 

 authentication is evident, and the mystery is made to appear 

 an obvious myth. The records follow: 



