74 General Notes. [^" n k 



Hydrochelidon nigra surinamensis in Connecticut. — On the afternoon 

 of August 29, 1893, after the hard southeast gale of that morning, I found 

 a flock of about forty Black Terns on the Quinnipiack Marshes near here. 

 Possibly this was the same flock that was seen at Milford, Conn., on 

 August 24, during the heavy gale of that date, and reported in 'Forest and 

 Stream' for September 23. — Louis B. Bishop, New Haven, Conn. 



Olor columbianus in Connecticut. — Thanks to Captain O. N. Brooks, 

 I am enabled to record the capture of a young Whistling Swan at Guilford, 

 Conn., on November 2 or 3, 1S93. It was shot off Guilford Harbor by a 

 Mr. Reuben Hill, and, according to Captain Brooks, is the first specimen 

 of this species taken in that vicinity during the last fifty years. — Louis 

 B. Bishop, New Haven, Conn. 



Note on Rougetius aldabranus. — Since describing this species in the 

 'Proceedings' of the National Museum, Vol. XVI, No. 953, p. 59S, I have 

 discovered that it had already been characterized and named by Dr. 

 Gunther in the 'Annals and Magazine of Natural History,' ser. 5, Vol. 

 Ill, 1879, P- x 64. <is Rallns gularis, var. aldabrana. Fortunately, we 

 both selected the same name for our respective specific and subspecific 

 titles. 



A series of specimens collected by Dr. Abbott on the neighboring island 

 of Assumption I had, provisionally, referred to R. gularis; but on further 

 investigation I find that it is not only distinct from the Madagascar bird, 

 but that the latter cannot be R. gularis, the type of which, from Mauritius, 

 is said by Hartlaub (Die Vdgel Madagascars, p. 338) to have the top and 

 sides of the head and neck olive, like the back, whereas these parts in the 

 Madagascar bird are rich chestnut, like the chest. There would thus 

 appear to be four allied but distinct forms of this genus, as follows : — 



1. Rougetius gularis (Cuv.), Mauritius. 



2. Rougetius bernieri Bonap., Madagascar. 



3. Rougetius aldabranus (Gunth.), Aldabra, and 



4. Rougetius abbotti, sp. nov., Assumption Island. 

 The last-named is characterized as follows : — 



Sp. Char. — Similar to R. bernieri Bonap., but upper parts very much 

 lighter and graj'er, black streaks on back narrower, and size less, the wing 

 especially. Diners from R. aldabranus in the streaked back and 

 scapulars. 



Hab. — Assumption Island. 



Type, No. 128,826, U. S. Nat. Mus., Assumption Island, Sept. 18, 1892; 

 Dr. W. L. Abbott. — Robert Ridgway, Washington, D. C. 



Phalaropus lobatus — A Correction. — In 'The Auk,' Vol. IV, page 78, 

 I recorded the Phalaropus lobatus as having been captured near Hartford. 

 I find on more critical examination, that it is the Crymophilus fulicarius. 

 — Willard E. Treat, East Hartford, Conn. 



