2 88 General Notes. [/p^'i'f 



this species before recorded by me, shot two additional specimens, one of 

 which he has presented to the Museum of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts 

 and Sciences. 



Anas obscura rubripes. Soon after the publication of Mr. William 

 Brewster's description of this newly defined subspecies I made inquiries 

 regarding tiie presence of a Black Duck on Long Island answering the 

 description of rubripes. I found that the difference in external character- 

 istics was sufficient to have attracted the notice of certain sportsmen and 

 baymen. Mr. Brewster found that the red-legged form is well known to 

 baymen in Massachusetts and that it is regarded by them as a distinct 

 variety of the Black Duck. I find substantially the same facts to apply 

 on Long Island. In answer to my request, from one of whom I had 

 made inquiries, that specimens of this variety of Black Duck be furnished 

 me, I received a few days later two fine specimens answering in every 

 respect to Mr. Brewster's description. This subspecies is, therefore, here- 

 with definitely recorded for I^ong Island. 



Anas penelope. A specimen of the European Widgeon was killed on 

 Gardiner's Island, Feb. 5, 1902, by Hiram Miller, of Springs. The cap- 

 ture of this bird was reported to me by Mr. Ivan C. Byram, a taxidermist 

 of Sag Harbor, who mounted the bird and who identified it. To meet the 

 question of possible error in identification I requested and received from 

 Mr. Miller the following description: "Wing patch green; longer wing 

 feathers and tail dark brown; head and neck chestnut shading to buff on 

 forehead ; breast gray shading to white belly ; under tail-coverts black ; 

 legs and feet dusky lead." He adds : "There was another killed the 

 autumn before I killed mine here, and another this autumn here." He 

 states that the specimen in question was killed from a large flock of 

 Baldpates. 



Aythya vallisneria. The Canvas-back is sufficiently rare on Long 

 Island to be worthy of record. It is perhaps unnecessary to say that 

 the not infrequent reports of large flocks of Canvas-backs on Long 

 Island sent from gunning resorts to the daily press, with the evident 

 desire of attracting the city sportsmen thither, may safely be set down 

 to the presence of its near relative, the Red-head. I have never interro- 

 gated a reliable Long Island gunner, bayman or guide, who had ever 

 observed a flock of any considerable number of Canvas-backs on Long 

 Island. Abundant as this bird is on the Chesapeake, its rarity on Long 

 Island is very firmly established. Mr. Andrew Chichester, a veteran 

 gunner of Amityville, sent me a pair d^ and ?) of fine, fresh birds shot 

 by his son Arthur at that place, March, 1903. 



Chen hyperborea nivalis. A Goose (5 im.) sent in the flesh, by Mr. 

 Ivan C. Byram of Sag Harbor, was shot Nov. 18, 1903, at Noyac, a hamlet 

 three miles west of Sag Harbor, by Cornelius Bennett. I refer the bird 

 to C. hyperborea nivalis, since it more nearly approaches the description 

 of the immature of this species than that of C. ccerulescens in the same 

 stage of plumage. 



