° lS 99 ] General Xotes. 285 



saw three specimens on Sept. 6, 1S96, and secured one. They disap- 

 peared on Sept. 11. 



Aythya vallisneria, Canvas-back. — During the first week of Decem- 

 ber, 1S97, Canvas-back Ducks began to appear in couples and small 

 flocks and by the middle of January the local sportsmen estimated that 

 there were about 200 flocked in this end of the lake (Kevka). However, 

 a week's despicable night shooting soon drove them away. Old sports- 

 men inform me that these were the first Canvas-backs that they had seen 

 in about fifteen years. 



Phalaropus lobatus, Northern Phalarope. — Rare migrant. I took 

 one specimen on May 16, 1S95. 



Tringa fuscicollis, White-rimped Sandpiper. — On Sept. 29, 1898, 

 I found a mortally wounded specimen along the lake shore and two more 

 were seen. As near as I can find out this is the first record of the occur- 

 rence of the White-rumped Sandpiper in Yates County or adjoining 

 counties. 



Calidris arenaria, Sanderlixg. — One specimen, taken in the autumn 

 of 1S93, and another on May 25, 1S95. 



Asio wilsonianus, American Long-eared Owl. — The occurrence of 

 this Owl is not common and it is a rare breeder. Several nests have 

 been found — the last one on May 16, 1S97. It contained four eggs 

 almost hatched. 



Icteria virens, Yellow-breasted Chat. — Of rare occurrence in this 

 county. On May 30, 1S9S, I found a pair breeding in the edge of a 

 swampy bush lot. The nest contained two eggs that were destroyed for 

 some reason — probably because I disturbed the sitting female. — Clar- 

 ence Freedom Stone, Bra?ickport, X. Y. 



Family and Subfamily Names Based on Subgenera. — The purpose of 

 the present note is to raise the question of the tenability of family and 

 subfamily names based on subgeneric terms. Current usage appears to 

 favor the formation of the family or subfamily name from some valid 

 generic term in the group, and Canon Y of the A. O. U. Code has the 

 following to say upon the subject: " Proper names' of families and sub- 

 families take the tenable name of some genus, preferably the leading 

 one, which these groups respectively contain, with change of termination 

 into tdce or ince. When a generic name becomes a synonym a current 

 family or subfamily name based upon such generic name becomes unten- 

 able." So far as the literal interpretation of this canon is concerned, 

 there seems to be no provision for the case in hand, since a subgeneric 

 name, so long as employed in that capacity, can be strictly considered 

 a synonym of a generic term, no more than can a subspecies be consid- 

 ered synonymous with its particular species; but the intent of the canon 

 is evidently to consider subgeneric names ineligible for use as the basis 

 of supergeneric terms, as is manifest in the 'Code' from the remarks 

 which follow this canon. On the other hand, in the interest of the 



