570 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 



GREAT GRAY OWL. Syrnium cinereum Bon. I mentioned 

 the capture of several specimens in this state in my Cata- 

 logue. Dr. Brewer has since informed me that about 1839 

 he obtained two for Mr. Audubon that were shot near Bos- 

 ton, a fact which does not appear to have been previously 

 recorded. There is also a specimen in the Museum of the 

 Peabody Academy, taken in Salem, November 10th, 1866, 

 by Mr. E. S. Waters. 



GREAT HORNED OWL. Bubo Virginianus Bon. There 

 are three specimens of this species in the Museum of Com- 

 parative Zoology, all from Eastern Massachusetts, that 

 represent Mr. Cassin's three varieties Bubo Virginianus 

 Atlanticus, B. Virginianus Pacificus, and B. Virginianus 

 Magellanicus. The first of these he supposed to be re- 

 stricted to the Atlantic slope of North America, the second 

 to the Pacific slope, and the third to the extreme southern 

 parts of this continent and to South America. Mr. Cassin 

 remarks, " this fine species is either subject to considerable 

 variation in the color of its plumage, or there are several 

 species, some of which have been named by naturalists, as 

 cited above, in our synonymes."* The first of these alter- 

 natives it seems to me is the true state of the case. 



BARN OWL. Strix pratincola Bon. As already stated by 

 me in the "Addenda" to Dr. Coues' "List of the Birds of 

 New England," the first specimen of this species known to 

 have been captured in this state was taken near Springfield, 

 in May, 1868. Dr. Wood informs me that he has a speci- 

 men in his cabinet that was shot "at Sachem's Head [Ct.,], 

 October 28th, 1865." The capture of another at Stratford, 

 Connecticut, is recorded by Mr. Linsley.f These three are 

 all thus far known to me to have been taken in New England. 



YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. Coccygus Americanus Bon. 

 No other of our birds seems to be so variable in numbers in 



* Report on N. American Bh'ds, p. 50. 



fSee " Catalogue of the Birds of Connecticut," by Rev. J. H. Linsley, Am. Journ. 

 Science and Arts, Vol. xliv (1843), p. 253. 



