448 General Notes. [£" k 



In going over my specimens of Ohio Robins I found a female shot April 

 20, 1900, at Waverly, Ohio, that agrees in coloration with the description 

 of Merula migratoria achrustera as given in Vol. IV of Ridgway's ' Birds 

 of North and Middle America.' The measurements are somewhat larger 

 than the type measurements, but the bird certainly is much closer related 

 to achrustera than to migratoria proper. I do not doubt but what the 

 majority of the southern Ohio Robins belong to the southern variety, as 

 even some of the wintering Robins shot there are not typical migratoria. — 

 W. F. Henninger, Tiffin, Ohio. 



Petiver's 'Gazophylacium.' — I recently found in an old book shop a 

 unique copy of Petiver's 'Gazophylacium Naturae et Artis,' consisting of 

 100 folio copper plates and 1245 figures of "beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, 

 insects, shells, plants, corals; as also diverse fossills, formed stones of the 

 sea, with their names, places and short descriptions to each," London, 

 1702-1709. 



With these two volumes of plates was originally published a small volume 

 of text giving a short description of the original of each figure. This last 

 volume seems to have become very scarce for in 1742, a Mr. Roger North 

 of Rougham, after waiting upwards of twenty years, found a copy; then, 

 for his amusement, he transcribed all the descriptions onto a sheet opposite 

 each figure in the plates. Not satisfied with this he gathered five other 

 of Petiver's productions, in all 195 folio plates, and 2726 figures, treating 

 them in the same manner, thus producing 258 folio pages of finely written 

 matter. 



Aside from being unique the book is of especial interest to Americans 

 as it contains 92 figures of American animals, birds, insects, etc. Perhaps 

 the most interesting and probably the first cut ever published of the Ruby- 

 throated Hummingbird (Trochilus colubris Linn.) is found on Plate 3, 

 Fig. 8. It portrays the back view of a rather well shaped skin and the 

 written description reads " Tomineio Mariana Virescens Gutture flammeo. 

 The Humming Flame Throat. The Reverend Mr. Hugh Jones sent me 

 this scarce and beautiful bird from Mary-Land." 



On Plate 6 is figured the side view of a skin. In a general reference to 

 all the figures on the plate I find: "Here you will see first a mondescript 

 Bird from Mary-Land with a Golden or yellow throat"; then each figure 

 is treated separately and the following occurs, 'Avis Maryland-tea, Gutture 

 Luteo. The Mary-Land yellow throat. This the Reverend Mr. Hugh 

 Jones sent me from Mary-Land." Doubtless church records somewhere 

 mil show who this clergyman was who sent bird skins from the James- 

 town Exposition region over two hundred years ago; 1696 to 1698 being 

 the years most often mentioned in acknowledging specimens. 



Another figure on Plate 43 represents the American Eared Grebe, oppo- 

 site which he writes: " Ardea Exotica Aurita. This Bird is very remark- 

 able For its two eared Tufts on the Head and Wanting its Back Toe. Mr. 

 Ray's Figure of the Ardea Cinerea minor in his Ornithology Tab. 49, pag. 



