126 General Notes. [^ 



GENERAL NOTES. 



The Black Skimmer on Long Island, N. Y.— On May 25, 1919, at 

 Long Beach, L. I., three Skimmers were seen flying west. Two were pretty 

 far out, but one was well inshore, though apparently all three birds were 

 together. We were immediately impressed by the sharp black and white 

 colors, forked tail, the remarkably long and slender wings, and the char- 

 acteristic flight. It is perhaps only proper to add that the senior author 

 was well acquainted with the Skimmer in life, and knows of no other 

 North American bird with winch it could reasonably be confused. In late 

 years a rare straggler to Long Island, it is possible that its recent reappear- 

 ance on the Jersey coast may cause its visits to Long Island to become more 

 frequent. Considering the date, our birds were probably ambitious 

 migrants which had overshot the mark. At least they were seemingly bent 

 on getting home as fast as possible. — Ludlow Griscom and Dr. E. R. P. 

 Janvrin, Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City. 



Another Record of the White Pelican in New York.— Eaton, in his 

 ' Birds of New York ' (1909) notes only eleven recorded instances of the 

 occurrence of Pelecanus erythrorhynchos from the entire State. Recently, 

 in looking over some old personal journals, the writer ran across an entry 

 to the effect that the late Leslie W. Lake of this village saw a White Pelican 

 in Hamburg township during the summer of 1863. Mr. Lake was a keen 

 observer and a very careful field worker; moreover, he was familiar with 

 the species due to a former residence in portions of the West where it is of 

 more common occurrence. 



The writer recalls questioning his informant very carefully relative to 

 this identification, and is himself familiar with the bird, having met with 

 it in some numbers in Yellowstone National Park. While it seems unusual 

 that the bird should have been found here during the summer, certainly 

 no error was made in its identification, as Mr. Lake noted at close range the 

 large size, white plumage, long bill and pouch. — Thomas L. Bourne, 

 Hamburg, N. Y. 



A Note on the " Southern Teal." — The leading article in the October 

 number of ' The Auk,' entitled ' Notes on a New Subspecies of Blue- 

 winged Teal,' by my friend, Frederic H. Kennard, held for me more than 

 cursory interest for the reason that I have been studying this supposed 

 form for some time, had corresponded with Mr. Kennard, regarding it, 

 and had held, up to this spring, that it might form a valid subspecies. 



I have had in the flying cage in Audubon Park, New Orleans, for the past 

 three years a collection of wild waterfowl obtained on the Louisiana 

 marshes. Among the ducks thus held in captivity was a drake Blue-winged 

 Teal that had the curious white fine over the eye as a continuation of the 

 characteristic crescent-shaped white spot, and had on the nape of the neck, 



