486 



General JVotei. [October 



On the Absence of Ammodramus lecontei from Chester County, South 

 Carolina, during the Winter of 1885-86. — Mr. Brewster's mention, in 

 the July number of 'The Auk,' of the capture of an example of Leconte's 

 Sparrow in the lower section of the State, during the past winter, is of 

 special interest, owing to the fact of its apparent absence in the vicinitj'of 

 Chester C. \\.. where it has been a common and regular visitor for sev- 

 eral winters past. Being desirous of fixing the date of its arrival, I began 

 to look for it during the latter part of October, and continued my search 

 with great thoroughness through the entire winter, but not a single speci- 

 men was seen. The early part of the season was unusually mild, and the 

 Grasshopper Sparrow was found up to the i4tli of December — an incident 

 hitherto unnoted in the Piedmont region. January brought the severest 

 weather known for years. As the Arctic wave came from the northwest, 

 giving a temperature 10^' lower in Chester than in New York, I expected 

 Leconte's Sparrow with confidence, and kept constantly afield, but with- 

 out success. It is worthy of remark that during this peculiar stress of 

 weather the Horned Larks and other boreal birds, which frequently favor 

 us with then- presence during protracted cold, wei^e wholly wanting. — 

 Levekett AL Loomis, C/ics/cr, S. C. 



Occurrence of Ammodramus caudacutus nelsoni in Massachusetts. — 

 The Nelson's Finch was originally described by Mr. Allen, from near Chi- 

 cago, and has been supposed to be strictly confined, in the breeding season, 

 to fresh water marshes. Recently Mr. Ridgway has called my attention 

 to specimens of this race from the salt marshes of Cambridge, Mass., 

 wliich raise some interesting questions in regard to this form. The spec- 

 imens are three in number, collected by myself as far back as 1S71. Two 

 were taken October 7, and their occurrence at this season, though interest- 

 ing as adding a new bird to the Massachusetts list, need not occasion sur- 

 prise, since the bird has been taken frequently near Sing Sing, New York, 

 by Dr. Fisher, and is known to occur elsewhere on the Atlantic coast 

 during the fall migrations. 



The third specimen, however, occupies a different status. It was taken 

 May 31, the lateness of which date would seem to preclude the possi- 

 bility of it being a migrant. In fact, if I am not mistaken, I took eggs, 

 supposed then to belong to ca/idaciifiix proper, on the very day in question. 



The specimen appears on comparison to possess all the characteristics 

 of the inland race, and though not so typical as some examples from Chi- 

 cago, is scarcely to be distinguished from others. 



The occurrence of this single specimen on the coast at this season may 

 of course be entirely accidental. The bird may have drifted in, and finding 

 the locality to its liking, may have remained to breed, mating perhaps 

 perforce with one of the coast form. Those having Sharp-tailed Finches in 

 their collections will do well to examine their series thoroughly with a 

 view to the elucidation of the status of the two forms. — H. W. Henshaw, 

 Washington, D. C. 



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