78 General Notes. ' \^l'^ 



An Albino Duck. — On September 12, 1909, a hunter brought in a pure 

 white duck which he had shot at Lake Traverse, near Wheaton, Minne- 

 sota, the day before. I examined the duck and could find no trace of a 

 colored feather anywhere. The white was not pure white but slightly 

 tinged with yellow and the legs were of a dull yellow color. The bird was 

 the same size and shape as some Gadwalls which were in the string but it 

 might have been a Widgeon, I could not absolutely say which. If the 

 duck had not been so badly shot up and if the man, even at that, had not 

 expressed his desire of having it mounted I should have tried to secure 

 the specimen. — Albert W. Honywill, Jr., Neio Haven, Conn. 



Snow Geese in Framingham, Massachusetts. — I wish to report that on 

 November 19, 1909, in Framingham, at 12.50 p. m., I observed, at close 

 range, a flock of thirty or more Snow Geese flying very low towards me 

 from northeast to southwest over open fields. Hearing the distant honk- 

 ing I had been prepared to see Canada Geese but to my amazement the 

 birds were pure white with the tips of the primaries black. When first 

 seen the birds were flying in a V and were very noisy. I observed the 

 birds most carefully, noting their size and their curiously shaped, brightly 

 colored bills. The birds were almost as large as Canada Geese and it is 

 my belief that they were the Greater rather than the Lesser Snow Geese. — 

 LiDiAN E. Bridge, West Medford, Mass. 



Another Swan for Maine. — In the Ellsworth 'American' for April 1, 

 1908, appeared the following item : " A handsome bird, rare for this section, 

 was brought to E. D. Brann, taxidermist at Ellsworth today. It is a wild 

 swan, which was shot at Webb's Pond by Hamlin Kingman of Waltham, 

 Monday. It is a young bird, pure white, except for its black feet antl bill 

 and grayish shade on head and neck . . . . " As the writer had occasion to be 

 in Ellsworth immediately afterward he visited the taxidermist shop of Mr. 

 Brann but found the proprietor was out. The bird could be seen through 

 the store window but was too far away to permit of its specific identifica- 

 tion. On other occasions when in Ellsworth I was likewise unable to see 

 the bird at closer quarters. Recently I asked Miss Cordelia J. Stanwood 

 of Ellsworth if she would not get careful measurements and a description 

 of the bird for me, knowing she was a careful observer and bird student. 

 She very kindly obtained and sent me the following description: "Bill and 

 feet of specimen black; a yellow spot before the eye or on the lores; dis- 

 tance from nostril to the eye much greater than distance from nostril to 

 tip of bill ; head somewhat tinged with warm gray or pearl gray ; the rest 

 of the bird white. The specimen is in pretty good condition aside from 

 dirt." In connection with Miss Stanwood's description and my own di.s- 

 tant view of the bird I have no hesitation in pronouncing it a Whistling 

 Swan, a bird new to Maine. The only other identified species of swan 

 known from Maine is the Whooping Swan, being the specimen formerly 

 in the collection of Clarence H. Clark of Lubec, and now, I have been told, 

 in the Bowdoin College collection. — Ora Willis Knight, Bangor, Me. 



