V °! 8 * VI ] General Notes. 85 



Rare Birds on Eastern Long Island. — American Barn Owl (Strix 

 pratincola). On Sept. 30, 1898, a fine specimen of this bird was sent me 

 to mount from Gardiners Island. It had been caught in a steel trap, and 

 was in good condition. On October 12 another specimen was sent me 

 from East Marion, L. I., which had also been caught in a steel trap. 

 This was a male — the former a female. The stomachs contained the 

 remains of field mice. 



Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum). A specimen of this bird, 

 in juvenile plumage, was shot on Shelter Island on Oct. 2 and sent me 

 to mount. It was a female, in good condition, but had scaled down on 

 the bill of fare, from ducks to dragon flies — as the stomach contained the 

 remains of several of these insects. 



Florida Gallixule (Gallinula galeata). A specimen of this bird 

 was shot on Shelter Island on Oct. 28, by a gunner, being the first 

 instance of its capture here that has ever come to my notice. It was 

 feeding and swimming amongst the reeds in a rather open pond, and 

 was approached and shot without difficulty, exhibiting little shyness. — 

 Willis W. Worthixgtox, Shelter Island Heights, New York. 



Notes on Two Rare Birds from Long Island, N. Y. — Mourning 

 Warbler (Geothlypis Philadelphia).— Giraud, in writing of this 

 species in 1S44 (Birds of Long Island, p. 65) says : " A few years since, a 

 specimen was obtained by Mr. Bell on Long Island, the only one which I 

 have known to have been procured here." So far as I am aware, there is 

 no other published record of the occurrence of this species on Long 

 Island, so I wish to place on record a specimen, now in the collection of 

 the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, taken at New Lots (now a 

 part of the city of Brooklyn), in June, 1S62, by George B. Brainerd. 



Bicknell's Thrush (Tnrdns alicia? bicknellii.) — Since my previous 

 records of this bird (Auk, Vol. X, p. 91), I have discovered four addi- 

 tional specimens. Three of them are in the Brooklyn Institute collection, 

 and were collected at Parkville, Kings Co., L. I., by E. F. Carson and 

 Frank Suydam — two of them on Oct. 12, 1892, the other Sept. 30, 1893. 

 Dr. Wra. C. Braislin, of Brooklyn, also has a specimen which he has 

 permitted me to record, collected by himself at Parkville on Oct. 3, 1894. 

 — Arthur H. Howell, Washington. D C. 



Springfield, Mass., Bird Notes. — Sturnus vulgaris. — During the 

 spring of 1897, nearly a hundred Starlings were liberated near Springfield, 

 some of which survived the following winter, which was one of about 

 the average in point of severity. 



Otocoris alpestris praticola. — A flock of about twenty-five Prairie 

 Horned Larks passed last winter in Longmeadow, just south of Spring- 

 field ; their presence in this vicinity has never been recorded before. 



Falco sparverius. — About the middle of last March, a pair of Sparrow 



