I 98 General Notes. [ ^^^^ 



the certainty of either of these premises is shown, priority and fairness 

 dernands that G. /. roscoe should stand. I think now, as I thought long 

 ago, that the publication of G. t. igttota was unnecessary and should be 

 ignored until proof, not opinion, is produced to set aside the older name. 

 — William Palmer, Washington, D. C. 



The Correct Name for the Florida Yellow-throat. — Accepting Mr. Pal- 

 mer's line of argument, in the preceding note, as the logical one by which 

 to determine the proper name of the Florida Yellow-throat, I would ask 

 him on what ground he ignores Audubon's statement that the bird he 

 described as Sylvia roscoe was a young Maryland Yellow-throat? Audu- 

 bon Avas more discriminating than Mr. Palmer evidently believes him to 

 have been and until his identification of Sylvia roscoe has been J>roved to 

 be erroneous we are not justified in rejecting his views. 



It may be added, that all the facts in the case strongly suggest that 

 Audubon's type was a migrant. Hence, even if it be later discovered that 

 the breeding Yellow-throats of western Mississippi are identical with the 

 resident Florida form, it by no means follows that Audubon's name 

 roscoe is applicable to them. In short, we shall be warranted in reversing 

 Audubon's decision only after an examination of his type, and as this 

 probably does not exist, there will doubtless never be a reason for refus- 

 ing to accept his conclusions. — Frank M. Chapman, American Museum 

 of Natural History, New York City. 



Probable Breeding of the Red-bellied Nuthatch near Boston. —I am 



requested by Mr. F. II. Mosher to report that he saw in June, 1S99, in Med- 

 ford, Mass., a Red-bellied Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) busily engaged in 

 catching and carrying away larvre, presumably to its young. Mr. Mosher 

 failed, however, to locate the supposed nest, for the Nuthatch, as he was 

 tracing it through the woods, was set upon by a Wood Pewee and driven 

 out of sight. 



On other occasions during the summer of 1S9Q, this species was observed 

 in this locality by Mr. Mosher. — J. A. Farley, Maiden, Mass. 



The Newfoundland Veery [Hylocichla fuscescens fuliginosa) in Massa- 

 chusetts. — On the 37th of last September I shot a specimen of this lately 

 described bird in Lanesboro, Berkshire Co., Mass., — the first example 

 taken in this State. The four autumnal records for New England fall 

 within the narrow limits of five days (Sept. 23-27), and indicate a migra- 

 tion through this region considerably later than the departure of the native 

 Veeries for the South. In 18S9 I killed a Veery in Waltham, Mass., on 

 the extraordinarily late date, Oct. 5. This bird was unfortunately not pre- 

 served, but without much doubt it belonged to the r&ce fuliginosa. — Wal- 

 ter Faxon, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. 



