Vol 'S XVI ] General Notes. 419 



no doubt be interested in the following account quoted from the ' Journal 

 of Agriculture of South Australia ' (Vol. 22, No. 7, Feb. 1919, pp. 556-57) : 



" The Murray River settlements are this year suffering an invasion of 

 black-tailed native hens, Tribonyx ventralis. These birds, which have the 

 habit of migrating in flocks, are visiting some of the irrigation settlements 

 in countless thousands, and have already done considerable damage by 

 eating out lucerne plots and other green crops, and devouring fruit. In 

 some cases fruitgrowers found it necessary to stack trays on which apricots 

 were being dried, and there is considerable apprehension in some quarters 

 in regard to the safety of the grape crop. 



One satisfactory feature in so far as the native hen is concerned is that 

 the experience of the past suggests that it appears only at long intervals. 

 In 1846 it is reported that the bird invaded the streets of Adelaide, in 1886 

 it reached Perth, and Northern Victoria was visited in 1909." — W. L 

 McAtee, Washington, D. C. 



Sarcidiornis sylvicola in Venezuela. — I should like to report the 

 collection of three living specimens of Sarcidiornis sylvicola Ihering, in 

 November, 1918, near Barcelona, Venezuela. These birds were taken by 

 Gustave Sebille, a professional collector, who netted them in a nearby 

 lagoon. They are now living in the New York Zoological Park. There 

 are two males and one female, just beginning to assume adult plumage, 

 the combs of the males being represented by a slight swelling at the base 

 of the upper mandible. The resemblance between these birds when in 

 immature plumage and wild Muscovy Ducks of the same age is striking, 

 though the legs of the comb ducks are noticeably longer. 



As they were quite immature when taken, it is reasonable to suppose 

 they were reared in the vicinity of their capture. Barcelona is on the 

 northern coast of Venezuela. The distribution of Sarcidiornis sylvicola 

 is given by Brabourne and Chubb as Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argen- 

 tina, so the present record seems to imply a considerable extension of range. 

 — Lee S. Crandall, New York Zoological Park. 



Occurrence of the Red Phalarope in Pennsylvania. — Mr. Edmund 

 Cocks recently sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 

 for identification, a specimen of the Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fidicarius) 

 which had been picked up in a dying condition near George School, Bucks 

 County, Pa., on December 15, 1918. Later the specimen was mounted 

 and presented to the local collection at the Academy. So far as I can 

 ascertain this is the first record of the species in the state, and even on the 

 coast of New Jersey we have very few records, the Northern Phalarope 

 being the most frequent of the three species of the family. Curiously 

 enough shortly after the capture of this specimen a skin of the same 

 species was presented to the Academy by Dr. C. E. Ehinger, which had 

 been secured near Lenape, Chester Co., Pa., at about the same time. 



