■S92-J Mack AY on iliv //em no ditU. 22 1 



figures both fonii.s, iiiulcr the names they usually <;c) by, ami says 

 there is no variation in the width of the frontal bands l)et\veen the 

 narrow and the wide, I cannot think he could have made a 

 careful examination of a series of specimens belonoino- to the 

 former, as I have found a very considerable variation among 

 specimens, although I have not yet seen any Malaccan or ,Suma- 

 tran specimens in which the black front passed bchintl tiie fore 

 part of the eye, nor any Bornean with a band as narrow as in 

 those specimens from other localities. The post-ocular stripe, 

 and the apical portions of the wing-coverts are of a more silvery 

 and lighter blue, and the general plumage of the adults is darker 

 in the Bornean birds than in the Sumatran or Malaccan, and if 

 they are to be separated the former could only be assigned to a 

 subspecific rank, and in view of its being without a name, as T 

 have shown, may be called Pitta granatlua bornc'ensis. 



Occiput and nape crimson. 



Frontal black band not extending to the eye P. granatina. 



Frontal black band extending behind the eje P- g- bornelnsis. 



HABITS OF THE AMERICAN HERRING GULL 

 {LAR US AR GENT A TUS SMITHS ONI A N US) 



IN NEW ENGLAND. 



BY GEORGE II. MACKAY. 



This Gull is the most abundant of those larger Gulls which 

 pass the late autumn, winter and spring months on the New Eng- 

 land coast as well as farther south. Naturally exceedingly wary, 

 they will nevertheless frequent the very heart of civilization if 

 unmolested, and may be seen any day during the winter in the 

 waters surrounding New York City, as also in those around 

 Boston, flying and sailing high up over both cities as they pass 

 from the water on one side to that on the other. Long continued 

 undisturbed occupation of these haunts has rendered them exceed- 

 ingly gentle and tame. In order to become better acquainted 

 with them under more natural surroundings it will be necessary 

 to remain at the seashore at some place where they can be ob- 



