^iwf 71 ] General Notes. 305 



Third Record of the Purple Gallinule (Ionornis martinica) in Illinois. — 

 I am indebted to Mr. W. A. Powers of Wilington, 111., for information 

 regarding the capture of a specimen of this species, which is rare for this 

 State. The bird was killed by Mr. Powers while snipe-shooting near 

 Wilington, Will Co., 111., on April 26, 1909. It is mounted and now in 

 his possession. The two previous records for the State are recorded in 

 ' The Auk,' Vol. XIX, 1902, p. 77.— Ruthven Deane, Chicago, III. 



Wilson's Snipe wintering in Pennsylvania. — While out collecting on 

 January 27, 1909, my friend, Mr. Foster White, obtained a fine specimen of 

 the Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) in a small swampy area near State 

 College, Center County, Pennsylvania. The rarity of the species at this 

 season in Pennsylvania is at once apparent, and in Center County its 

 occurrence is astonishing, as the whole valley in which State College lies 

 is some twelve hundred feet above the level of the sea. Previous to the 

 capture of this bird, I had observed specimens lingering in the same 

 swamp as late as December 5, and again on the 12th, of the year 1908. — ■ 

 Richard C. Harlow, State College, Pa. 



The Lesser Yellow-legs in Center County, Pennsylvania. — The Lesser 

 Yellow-legs (Totanus flavipes) is one of the rarest of the spring waders in 

 Pennsylvania, and it gives me pleasure to be able to record the species for 

 the first time from Center County. The first specimen was taken on April 

 1, 1909, by Mr. Foster White, near State College, Pennsylvania. While 

 collecting in the same vicinity on April 20, 1909, I observed another of the 

 same species and finally collected it. These two captures stand alone as 

 representing the status of the Lesser Yellow-legs in Center County. — - 

 Richard C. Harlow, State College, Pa. 



Early Nesting of the Barn Owl in Delaware. — In a Wilmington, Del., news- 

 paper for April 20, 1909, is a rather sensational report of the capture on 

 April 19 of a strange bird on a marsh near that city, and in the same paper 

 for April 22, A. D. Poole, Esq., President of the Delaware Game Protective 

 Association, identified the bird as a juvenile Barn Owl (Aluco pratincola), 

 and in a letter to me Mr. Poole says the bird was apparently about six 

 weeks old. On April 25, I saw this bird. It was confined in a large wire 

 cage, such as are sometimes used for Parrots. The owner told me it had 

 been found on the ground, and was unable to fly. This was evident. The 

 primaries were now fairly well developed but many of the wing feathers 

 were only just protruding from the sheaths; down was on many of the 

 feathers of the back and the entire under parts were covered with down. 

 The tail was but little over half adult length. It twice climbed up the 

 sides of the cage and exercised its wings. The development was not 

 quite as far advanced as Mr. Finley in his 'American Birds' shows as "8 

 weeks old." It was probably about seven weeks old, and if so, and allow- 

 ing two weeks for hatching, the egg must have been laid by February 21, 

 which is very much earlier than the usually recorded dates. 



