280 FRINGILLID^E : FINCHES. 



The New England record of the Black-throated 

 Bunting is interesting, though not so satisfactory as 

 might be desired. It seems that we have in this case 

 a bird of the Carolinian and part of the Alleghanian 

 Fauna, of rare though constant occurrence as far north 

 as Massachusetts, yet irregular in its numbers during 

 successive years, and locally distributed moreover. It 

 has been found not rare in certain spots, some sea- 

 sons, and again, is not to be found in the same places 

 at all. Thus, in 1843 Dr. Linsley gave it as "very 

 common" about New Haven, Conn., where Mr. Mer- 

 riam, however, has been unable to find the bird, or 

 indeed to learn of any other record of its presence 

 in Connecticut. The older ornithologists, as Nuttall, 

 Emmons, Peabody, speak of it as a bird of Massa- 

 chusetts, and recent observations abundantly confirm 

 their statements. Dr. Brewer has it as a " summer 

 resident, rare," in southern New England ; Mr. Allen 

 speaks of it as a "very rare summer resident" of 

 Massachusetts. Mr. H. A. Purdie, of Boston, favors 

 me with manuscript notes of two Massachusetts occur- 

 rences. In June, 1873, two specimens were shot at 

 West Newbury, Essex County ; they were in full song, 

 and evidently about to breed. A nest with eggs was 

 found at Readville, Mass., in 1879. Mr. John Thax- 

 ter obtained a specimen near Newtonville, Mass., June 

 26, 1867 ; this was a female, supposed, from the con- 

 dition of the plumage, to be incubating. Mr. E. A. 

 Samuels mentions two others taken in Massachusetts. 

 Mr. Hopkins found the bird breeding in Williamstown, 

 and there has been a similar find at Hingham. Among 

 late occurrences the following may be specially noted : 



In his " Birds of New England," p. 229, Mr. Minot 



