^"Isg'J^^] General Notes. 211 



Am., I, 1S31, p. 392, " Toiauus oc/iropus, the White-tailed Tatler " being 

 formally described as such from a specimen from Hudson Bay in the 

 British Museum. This specimen is extant, identified by Dr. Sharpe as 

 Helodromas ochropus, and so catalogued from Hudson Bay (Cat. B. Brit. 

 Mus., XXIV, 1S96, p. 444), along with ^he Halifax one. For aught that 

 appears to the contrary, we must recognize this record, and add "Hudson 

 Bay" to Nova Scotia in our statement of the bird's North American 

 occurrences. 



While on this species, I may remark upon the claims of Helodromas 

 to full generic rank apart from Totanus. I am not inclined to waste any 

 time in discussing the difference between a genus and a subgenus, because 

 I know there is none. Yet we have a sort of recognized convention or 

 implication in the matter, chiefly for the purpose of being as consistent as 

 we can regarding some degrees of difference which we rate as generic, and 

 some lesser degrees we only allow to be subgeneric — just as we have in 

 the cases of species and subspecies. Helodromas, I think, is quite up to the 

 mark of an average genus — take them as they run in our List; and Dr. 

 Sharpe thinks so tod. Aside from some obvious proportions of external 

 parts by which Helodromas differs from the type of Totanus, I may call 

 attention to what may pass for " new evidence " in favor of generic distinc- 

 tion — not that it is new, except to our Committee in their official capacit v. 

 This is, that Helodrotnas differs from all its immediate allies in having 

 the sternum single-notched — not a great matter, to be sure, in the order 

 Limicolae, where this bone is single-notched, or double-notched, or 

 notched and fenestrate, but a useful character for generic distinction, like 

 the presence or absence of a hallux, semipalmation or complete cleavage 

 of the toes, etc. We iTiay also recall in this connection the arboreal nidi- 

 fication of the Green Sandpiper — if nidification can be said of a bird that 

 uses other birds' nests in which to deposit its eggs. On the whole, 

 thinking we may safely and desirably treat Helodromas as a full genus, 

 I propose this change in its status in our Check-List. — Elliott Coues, 

 Washingtoti, D. C. 



Status of the Redshank as a North American Bird. — There is a third 

 record in the Fn. Bor.-Am., H, 1S31, p. 391, which seems to require atten- 

 tion. This is that of the bird duly entered as Totanus calidris, "the Red- 

 shank or Gambet," and described from a specimen said to be from 

 Hudson Baj', and at that time in the British Museum. I do not find it 

 enumerated by Dr. Sharpe, nor does he cite this feference to Totanus 

 calidris in his synonymy of the species. This leaves a cloud on the title 

 of the Redshank to be considered North American ; but the case is identi- 

 cal with those of the Greater Snipe and Green Sandpiper above discussed, 

 in so far as the face of the original i-ecord is concerned. I think we 

 should hardly ignore this, even though the specimen is not forth coming 

 to speak for itself. We hardly find the joint authors of the Fn. Bor.-Am. 

 at fault on a point like this, and they are little likely to have been mistaken 



