8 Bullt'tiii No. 24. 



view as it searched for food, flying from branch to branch and running 

 out to the tips in a sprightly fashion without the warbler-like nervous- 

 ness. Since John Cassin took the type specimen near Philadelphia in 

 September, 1842, but six others have been recorded in eastern Pennsyl- 

 vania. Eight captures in fifty-six years and all of them autumnal ! 



Fr.ank L. Burns, Bcrzcvn, Fe/iuit. 



A Piscivorous Yellow-leg.— While walking through the central 

 market of this place, the other day, my attention was attracted by some- 

 thing protruding from the bill of a specimen of l^otanus mehtuoleucns. 

 Upon closer inspection this proved to be a minnow. The bird's cesoph- 

 agus was literally jamed full of top minnows, {Finidit/us diaphit?ius). 

 When I made this discovery my mind at once wandered back to a 

 certain railroad bridge which spans the Iowa river about two miles 

 south of Iowa City, la., and the wintery scene changed to one of May. 

 Here on the bridge I sat again and watched the trim form of Yellow- 

 leg chasing minnows. Yes, I am convinced it was minnows he was after. 

 Many times have I been seated here and watched this bird, which is 

 quite common along the Iowa river during migration, wade out into the 

 shallow water of the bars, moving along slowly with tilting gate, suddenly 

 lower that long head and neck and proceed to run through the water at a 

 speed which would have done credit to a college sprinter, quickly striking 

 to right and left with his bill. Of course I thought some luckless water 

 beetle had met its doom, but now I am convinced that minnows and not 

 beetles caused the vicious movement. 



P. Bartsch. Smz//isonnifi fnstilute. ll'as/ihi^tou, D. C. 



Late Date for Catbird. — Two acquaintances, reputable men on 

 whose word I can rely, observed a Catbird, Galeoscoptes carolinensis, 

 feeding upon the pok6berries of which there has been an abundant crop, 

 at the west side of the Valley creek dam, Valley Forge, on the ist day 

 of December, i8g8. It was easily approached and frequently uttered 

 the unmistakable meiv as it busied itself in and out of the bushes as onl}- 

 a Catbird or Wren can do. In spite of the deep snow and freezing 

 weather it appeared plump and fluffy, and as far as they could observe, 

 was without any physical defect whatever. It was seen on five different 

 occasions during the day. 



Frank L. Burns, Hericyn. Penna. 



