1387-] General Notes. 1 6 



A Migration of Hawks at Germantown, Pa. — On the afternoons of 



September 21 and 29, 18S6, great numbers of Hawks passed over here. 

 They new in a westerly direction and were observed from 2 to 4 p. m. I 

 did not notice them in the morning or on any of the intervening. dates. 

 On the 21st they came in a long line, two or three at a time; occasionally 

 they would circle about and wait until others caught up with them ami 

 then all would pass on together; at no time during the afternoon was I 

 able to count more than thirty in sight at once. 



On the 29th a few dozen passed over as described above, and then came 

 a large flock containing at least two hundred and fifty Hawks. When 

 directly overhead they divided into two flocks and began circling about, 

 and finally passed on to the west. 



I could see that there were several different species in the flock, but they 

 were too high up for me to identify them. — Witmer Stone, German- 

 toxvn, Pa. 



The Saw-whet Owl in the District of Columbia. — I have also the 

 pleasure of recording the occurrence of the Saw-whet Owl (Nvciala 

 acadica) in the District of Columbia. The first one was found by a 

 farmer about October 3. It was lodged in the branches of a small tree, 

 where it had evidently died ; from what cause is not positively known. 

 This bird has the habit of doing this sort of thing. A few vears ago I 

 obtained one that had died in this manner, and about the same time, I 

 think the following year, I had three brought to me that, were found in 

 barns dead. This experience very conclusively proves to my mind the 

 delicate make-up of this bird and its inability to cope with the adversities 

 of bird life. About a week later, I am informed, two others were obtained 

 by a farmer just outside of the District limits. I have not yet ascertained 

 whether or not these two birds were shot or found dead, as all the others 

 were that I ever obtained. — Frederick S. Webster, Was/u'ngto?i, D. C. 



The Imperial Woodpecker {Ccunpef/iilns iituperialis) in Northern 

 Sonora. — During a scouting expedition in the Apache campaign of last 

 year Lieutenant H. C. Benson, of the U. S. Army, found this species to 

 be common in the pine forests of the Sierra Madre, in Sonora, within fifty 

 miles of the Arizona boundary. Owing to lack of time and facilities he 

 was unable to preserve specimens, but a head which he sent to the Na- 

 tional Museum renders the identification of the species positive. This 

 magnificent bird — the largest of all known Woodpeckers, considerably 

 exceeding the Ivory-bill in size (the wing measuring 11.70 to 13.20 inches 

 and the exposed culmen 2.70 to 3.60 inches) — will doubtless soon be 

 added to the North American fauna. — Robert Ridgway, Washington., 

 D. C. 



The Coppery-tailed Trogon ( Trogoii ambi guns') breeding in South- 

 ern Arizona. — A young male of this species, still in nestling plumage, 

 though full grown, was collected August 24, 1885, m tne Huachuca Moun- 



