302 Geneyal Notes. [j\;'l^ 



I had, on several occasions, during the early part of the winter, noted 

 apparently fi-esh borings on a Larch tree {Lari'x eurofcea) on our place, 

 and had heretofore been unable to account for them. I know of no other 

 instance of this bird's wintering in Massachusetts except that Mr. 

 Williain Brewster writes me he killed one in January some vears ago. — 

 F. H. Kenxard, Brookliiie, Mass. 



Breeding of Traill's Flycatcher in Eastern Massachusetts. — On 

 June i8, 1S95, I took a set of four eggs of Traill's Flycatcher in Lynn- 

 field, a small town twelve miles north of Boston. On various occasions 

 earlier in the month I had seen Traill's Flycatchers in a bushy meadow 

 and the actions of individual birds led me to believe that one and perhaps 

 two pairs of this species were intending to breed. 



On June 16 I searched for a nest and soon found one with three eggs. 

 The following morning there were four eggs. On neither occasion was 

 a bird seen at the nest but on the morning of the 17th one of the Traill's 

 Flycatchers flew about in the neighboring bushes and complained. On 

 the afternoon of June iS I went to the nest in company with Messrs. 

 E. H. Forbush and C E. Bailey. As on previous occasions, the bird 

 was not on the nest. Mr. Bailey ensconced himself in the bushes and 

 after an hour's wait shot one of the Flycatchers. The bird came near 

 the nest and drove away a Maryland Yellow-throat, and then after an 

 interval appeared again and lit on the nest and looked at the eggs. A 

 moment later Mr. Bailey shot her. This bird is now in the collection 

 of Mr. Wm. Brewster. 



The nest is a typical Traill's, being constructed of fine grasses and 

 neatly lined. The body of the nest is a quite compact and well-made 

 structure but there is a lot of loose odds and ends in the shape of long, 

 grasses stringing down from the outside of the nest. 



The eggs, four in number, and very slightly incubated, are white 

 with reddish spots (nearly flesh-colored), these being principally at the 

 larger end and forming a slight ring. The nest was three and a half 

 feet from the ground and in a small wild rose-bush. The locality is a 

 bushy meadow, the growth being principally alder, young maple, white 

 cedar and wild rose-bushes. — J. A. Farley, Ne-vtoti, Mass. 



The Western Meadowlark at Racine, Wise, etc. — In the April number 

 of 'The Auk ' (\o\. XH, p. 192) I find a communication from an observer 

 in northern Michigan, if I remember rightly, recording the appearance 

 there of the Western Meadowlark — Sturnella 7nagna 7teglecta (Aud.). 



It was with much interest that I heard this bird was at Racine, 

 Wise, where its note sounded strange enough, although I had long been 

 familiar with it in California. Dr. Hoy, so well known in the North- 

 west, some years ago reported "this variety as occurring occasionally, 

 near Racine." 



In this connection I should like to make mention of one of our eastern 

 Meadowlarks {Sturnella magna) which I saw last spring in Connecticut, 



