236 



General Notes. [April 



Breeding of Totanus solitarius and Otocoris alpestris praticola in 

 Western Pennsylvania. — A single pair of Solitary Sancipipeis remained 

 to breed here through the season of 1890, frequenting a small pond and 

 an adjacent stream. All attempts to discover their nest proved futile, 

 although later on in the season they appeared accompanied by their 

 joung. The species is common in the migrations in spring and fall. 



On June 10, 1SS9. while driving along a highway in Butler County, I 

 saw a pair of birds running about in the dust some distance ahead whicii 

 I did not at once recf)gnize. Hastily getting out, I approached nearer, 

 and, after a little manceuvering, was agreeably surprised to find that 

 they were Prairie Horned Larks. I wished very much to kill then., 

 but had unfortunately left my shotgun behind. The pair undoubtedly 

 had a nest in the immediate vicinity, but at any rate their presence at 

 such a date would be of itself sufficient to prove that they were breeding 

 at the time. This instance, I believe, considerably extends the known 

 breeding range of the species in Pennsylvania. — W. E. Clyde Todd, 

 Beaver, Beaver County, Pa. 



Falco islandus L. in Labrador. — We have received a specimen of this 

 biid from Ungava Bay shot by Mr. Thos. Mackenzie in 1890. To make 

 certain of the identification, I forwarded the bird to Mr. H. E. Dresser 

 who along with me is under the impiession that this is the first record 

 from that district. — J. A. 1I.\kvie Brown, Duuipacc House, Larbert, N. B. 



Protective Coloration in the Genus yEgialitis. — To the protective colors 

 which are usual among the shore birds I had always considered the neck 

 and head markings of the genus yEgialitis a striking and curious excep- 

 tion, till a short time ago when lookingat an .-^. semipalmata, which I had 

 wounded, trying to hide by crouching in a hollow in the sand; and while 

 admiring the perfect blending of its brown shades with the surroundings 

 1 saw in its white rings one of tiie commonest objects of the sea shore — 

 the eniptv half of a bivalve shell. The white about the base of the bill 

 was the 'hinge,' the collar the outer rim, and the top of the head the 

 cavity of the shell, filled — as they usually are — with sand. 



In the cabinet drawer the resemblance is not so noticeable, but such 

 resemblances rarely are, and it was striking among the natural surround- 

 ings when I first observed it. and it is most perfect when the bird is 

 crouching as it does in the presence of danger or when on its eggs. Not 

 only are these shells found along the water's edge, but they are carried 

 far above high-water mark by several agencies, and are common in such 

 places as these birds breed in, their cavities discolored or filled with sand, 

 their curved edges kept bright by exposure and friction. I now consider 

 these beautiful markings a clear case of ' protective coloration.' — 

 Wm. V. Prakger, Keokuk, Iowa. 



A Peculiar Character Referable to the Base of the Skull in Pandion. — 

 As is well known, in all ordinary birds the anterior orifice or orifices of 



