Vol i^ VI ] General Xotes. 313 



The Rank of Certain Groups of Birds. — The following changes in the rank 

 of certain groups in the A. O. U. Check-List seem desirable in order to 

 make those of the same grade of more equal value. 



The Cuculi (including the Cuculidae and the African Musophagidse), 

 and the Striges should both be raised to full orders. The former are, by 

 all recent authorities, given higher rank than is accorded them in the 

 Check-List. They possess certain characters separating them from all the 

 other Picarian birds (the Trogones, Alcyones, Pici and Macrochires of the 

 List and other extralimital groups) and allying them with the Gallinaceous 

 birds and the Parrots. As to the Striges there now seems little doubt 

 that they are not really related to the diurnal birds of prey but are nearer 

 the Goatsuckers. However this may be, the Owls are so different from 

 the Hawks and Vultures that they should be ordinally separated. 



The subfamilies Fulmarinae and Puffininae should be united in a family 

 Puffinidae, as is done in the British Museum Catalogue by Salvin, who gives 

 several excellent characters to distinguish them from the other Tubinares. 

 The Oceanitinae, comprising the long-legged Petrels, are characterized by 

 eight or ten good anatomical characters, and also merit family rank. 

 These two groups are at present given the same grade in the List as the 

 Gallinulinse and the Sterninae, but are undoubtedly of much higher value. 

 In fact they are better marked than several of the families now recognized, 

 as the Odontophoridae, Meleagridae, Tetraonidae, and certain Limicoline 

 groups, and probably also the Buteonidae, Plataleidae, Rynchopidae and 

 others. The fact that all the essential characters of the Puffinidae and 

 several of those of the Oceaniticke are internal, is doubtless the reason why 

 their recognition as families is not more general. 



With the Falconidae restricted to the true Falcons, the Caracaras, and 

 their few near allies, it is now desirable to recognize a subfamily Poly- 

 borinse to include Polyborus and the extralimital genera Ibycter and Mil- 

 vago. 



In the Check-List the Aramidae are included in the suborder Ralli. In 

 all internal characters and in pterylosis, however, Aramus is strictly 

 Gruine and should be placed nearer the cranes as is done by Gadow, 

 Sharpe, and other authorities. — W. DeW. Miller, Amer. Mus. Nat. 

 Hist., New York City. 



Three Records for British Columbia. — Aluco pratincola. Barn Owl. 

 Messrs. Jose and Faulks, taxidermists, of Vancouver, recently showed me 

 a fine female Barn Owl, shot by a Mr. McKenzie at Ladner's landing, not 

 far from the mouth of the Fraser River. The cere and feet were still soft, 

 as the specimen had just been mounted; the date of capture would be 

 about 7th April, 1909. It was a female with the ovaries much enlarged. 



Strix occidentalis caurinum. Northwestern Spotted Owl. — On the 

 26th January of this year I shot a fine female of this owl at Chilliwack, B. O, 

 the first I have seen in the flesh in over twenty years' collecting in this 

 Province. It was killed during a cold snap of exceptional severity. 



