X "U:> X | General Notes. L33 



ha- occurred to me for this unusual plumage in Agriocharis ocellata other 

 than perhaps it may possibly be <Iuc to the prehistoric peoples thai at one 

 time densely populated this part of Mexico having domesticated these 



turkeys, and that some of these aborigines, through artificial selection, 

 produced a Variety Of the species which, in the long years since I hose times, 



has again become mixed with the normal birds in nature, ami is now re- 

 verting to their plumage. 



As a rule, the species assumes and passes through its several plumage 



stales with marked regularity and uniformity; and, as a matter of fact, 



aside from the three specimens above described ami a lew instances of 



partial albinism, no other abnormalities, with reaped to this species, have 

 come under my observal ion. 



Apart from such a solution, to my mind it would seem that there is 



either some cause now operative or in times past has been operative — 

 which, were it discovered, would explain the necessity for this species to 

 assume a less conspicuous plumage than the strikingly brillianl one which 

 at presenl characterizes it. Perctj W.Shufeldt, Campeche, Mexico. 



The Passenger Pigeon at the Cincinnati Zoological Gardens still 

 living. Many readers of Mr. Wells \Y. Cooke's very interesting and 

 instructive paper, "Saving the Ducks and Geese" (The National Geo- 

 graphic Magazine, Vol. icxh Mch. L913) have read with deep regret the 



announcement which he makes in reference to the Passenger Pigeon. lie 

 writes " Today this bird IS entirely extinct, the last survivor dying in 

 the Zoo at Cincinnati a few days ago." After reading this sad news, I at 



once w i'ote Mr. S. A. Stephan, ( reneral Manager of the Cincinnati Zoologi- 

 cal Co.. asking for details and was delighted to receive the following reply 

 under date of May 17. " I have your letter of May 16th, and beg tosay 



that our one remaining Passenger Pigeon is still alive and in as good con- 

 dition as when 1 wrote you on Oct. 3rd, 1912." — RtTTHVEN DEANE, 



Chicago, Ill- 

 Nesting of the Barn Owl in Illinois. — The lirst authentic set of Barn 

 Owl's eggs for Illinois was taken May 20, 1909, in Champaign County by 

 Guy Daj of Sidney. This consisted of nine eggs and was collected in my 

 ten-mile radius. 



On April 20, 1913, 1 collected a. second set, of six eggs in the same Salt. 

 Fork creek bottoms nine miles from l'hilo. Both Owls were Hushed from 

 the cavity of an enormous Sycamore overhanging the creek. Isaac E. 



Bess, Philo, ill. 



An Unusual Malady and Probable Cause of Death in a Toucan 

 (Ramphastos carinatua).— An adult female of this toucan died April 24, 



1913) at the establishment of Mr. Edw. S. Schmid of Washington, I). C., 



who kindly presented me with the specimen the same day. Upon ex- 

 amining its anatomy - an invariable practice of mine with such material 

 before roughing out the skeleton — I found it in fair condition with most 



