88 General Notes. \^^^ 



gether by detached pairs, although in some places where unusually 

 abundant they gather daily for a sociable feed. — William L. Dawson, 

 Oberlin, Ohio. 



A New Bird for the Virginias. — I have lately received from Mr. Thad- 

 deus Surber, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, a young male speci- 

 men of the Stilt Sandpiper {Micropalama himatitopus) which was taken 

 on November 2, 1896, near Caldwell, P. O., on the Greenbrier River, six 

 miles from the above mentioned Springs. This species has not hitherto 

 been reported from either Virginia or West Virginia, although a bird from 

 the Patuxent River, Md., has been recorded by Mr. Hugh M. Smith (Auk, 

 Vol. Ill, p. 139). — William C. Rives, M. D., Netv York City. 



Asarcia spinosa. — In Vol. XXIV of the British Museum Catalogue of 

 Birds, Limicohie, p. 86, 1S96, Dr. Sharpe names a genus Asarcia, type Parra 

 'oariahilis Linn., 1766, as distinguished from yacatia proper by the reduc- 

 tion of the facial appendages to a comparatively small frontal leaf, which 

 is trifid, somewhat like a fleur-de-lis ; the same cutaneous excrescence in 

 the type of Jacana being bifid or heart-shaped, and supplemented by a 

 pair of wattles. Assuming the generic sufficiency of this distinction, I 

 may remark that Dr. Sharpe's use of the specific term variabilis in this 

 connection is at variance with A. O. U. canons of nomenclature. As 

 shown by Elliot, Auk, July, 1888, p. 298, and as admitted by Sharpe, /. r., 

 Parra variabilis Linn., S. N. 1766, p. 260, was based on Edwards's Nat. 

 Hist. I. 1743) P- and pi. 48, as a mere renaming of Fulica spinosa Linn. 

 S. N. 1758, p. 152, which had the identical basis of Edwards's pi. 48. 

 Consequently variabilis is untenable by our rules, and the species should 

 continue to stand as Jacana spinosa, unless we recognize the new generic 

 name; in which probable contingency Asarcia spinosa becomes the onym 

 of the bird. — Elliott Coues, Washingto7t, D. C. 



The Passenger Pigeon {Ectopisfes migratorius) in Lewis County, 

 N. Y. — In the Boonville (N. Y.) ' Herald' of May 27, 1896, appeared an 

 item to the effect that Mr. Henry Felshaw had recently seen ''a large 

 flock of Wild Pigeons, perhaps 300 in number, flying westward." On 

 writing to Mr. Felshaw he_ replied that there was no possibility of his 

 having been mistaken, as he had shot, trapped and netted thousands of 

 these birds, in former years, and the flock in question was seen when not 

 more than fifteen rods distant. The flock, as said, numbered about 300, 

 and was seen at about 5.30 a. m. on May 22, the locality being Constable- 

 ville, Lewis County, N. Y. He further states, "I mounted, last spring 

 (in April, I think) a cock Pigeon that was shot somewhere near North 

 Western." — W. S- Johnson, Boonville, N. Y. 



Melopelia leucoptera in Osceola County, Florida. — The National Mu- 

 seum has recently received a wing and foot of this species from Prof. W. 



