Vol XXII J General Notes. 407 



Cotumiculus as a genus do it with reservation, and by restricting 

 it to the savannarum group. Owing to its doubtful status, if for 

 no other reason, it seems ill-advised to uproot Ammodramus from 

 its time-honored associations and transfer it to a group of doubt- 

 ful status, likely at any time, by almost general consent, to be 

 merged with it, for the sake of establishing a new name on a 

 strained technicality. For, as already said above, the accidental 

 first use of Ammodramus in connection' with the western form of 

 savannarum ought not to outweigh the author's deliberate desig- 

 nation of the type of the genus to which he incidentally and with- 

 out any incongruous transgression of the real relationship of the 

 forms in question, referred another species. If such lapses from 

 propriety and good judgment as Mr. Oberholser here illustrates 

 should secure partial endorsement, the goal of stability in nomen- 

 clature will be more distant than ever, for it does not seem 

 possible that such rulings will meet with general acceptance. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



A Holbceirs Grebe (Colymbus holbcelli) at Englewood, N. J., in June. — 

 This particular individual was present on an artificial ice pond in Engle- 

 wood for at least three weeks. It was first seen on June 10 and was seen 

 on three consecutive Saturday afternoons. It disappeared between the 

 24th and 27th. A trolley line runs along the road to the east of the pond, 

 on the other side of which are some golf links. There is another road 

 on the north bank. Two ice storage houses are on the banks, from which 

 ice was taken on several occasions. A breakwater runs along about fifteen 

 feet from the south bank. The grebe was most often in the center of the 

 pond, though continually swimming all over, sometimes getting inside 

 the breakwater. If near the trolley line when a car came along and 

 startled it, it would take to flight and often make a complete circuit of 

 the pond before alighting again. Automobiles startled it more than the 

 trolley cars. The small fish in the pond formed an abundant food supply. 

 It was not in breeding plumage and may have been a bird born last year. 

 The neck was brown, tinged with reddish, and the throat and sides of 

 the head mouse color. — George E. Hix, New York City. 



