^°i8y^'^] Getieral JVoies. 323 



Breeding of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Beverly, New Jersey. — On 

 May 2, 1896, I recorded the tirst arrival of this bird at Beverlv, and after- 

 wards from day to day noted a male bird whistling from the tree tops in 

 the lawns of adjoining properties to where I live. Knowing they were 

 not early breeders I did not pay any particular attention to him until 

 June I, at which time he became so noisy with his continual outbursts of 

 song, that I concluded to investigate, and soon discovered the female 

 building the nest. The male would accompany her about the neighbor- 

 hood while gathering material, and perch on the topmost branch of a 

 nearby tree and whistle one strain after another. After incubation 

 commenced he became more quiet, only whistling occasionally, and 

 going off by himself on feeding trips, as I often heard him several squares 

 away. yj 



The nest was situated in the topmost branches j-'btlfigs of a small maple 

 tree, about eighteen feet above the ground, and sdrteen feet from the rear 

 of a house along the river bank within the cityviimits of Beverly. 



As this seems very unusual, as well as the most southern record for 

 New Jersey, so far as I can ascertain, I concluded to record the note. — 

 J. Harris Reed, Beverly, N.J. 



On the Status of Lanius robustus Baird as a North American Bird. — 

 Having recently had occasion to again examine the type of Laniics robustus 

 Baird, which I was fortunately able to do through the kindness of the 

 authorities of the Academy of Natui-al Sciences of Philadelphia, I feel 

 more sure than ever that the bird is not North American at all. It agrees 

 in all characters but two, namely, the larger, more strongly hooked bill 

 and peculiar pattern of the secondaries, with L. algerietisis ; and two 

 examples of the latter in the National Museum collection approach it so 

 closely in the last respect that I have little doubt it is merely an 

 ' aberrant ' specimen or possiblj' a local form of that species. — Robert 

 RiDGWAY, U. S. National Museum, Washiugton, D. C. 



Vireo flavoviridis in Nebraska — a Correction. — In order to avoid 

 confusion, it becomes necessary to state that the bird on which the note 

 in ' The Auk' (XIII, 263); recording the capture of Vireo Jiavoviridis was 

 founded, has been found to be V. olivaceus. 



In explanation of how this error occurred I will state that the specimen 

 was somewhat abnormally colored, and according to the measurements 

 given by Ridgway (Manual, 470), had a tail at least one inch shorter than 

 the minimum length in V. olivaceus. Hence it was identified as V. 

 Jiavoviridis. Since that time I have found, however, that the measure- 

 ment of the tail, 3- 15-3.30, given by Ridgway is in all probability an error. 

 All of the authorities, Coues, Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway himself in his 

 'Ornithology of Illinois ', do not give a maximum measurement of more 

 than 2.50. — L. Bruner, Lincoln, Nebraska. 



