636 NOTES ON SOME OF THE 



YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD. XanthocepJidlus icteroce- 

 phalus Baird. The wings, tail and feet, of a specimen of 

 this species taken in Watertown, in October, 18 69, were 

 shown me a few weeks since by Mr. C. J. Maynard. Al- 

 though the whole bird was unfortunately not preserved, its 

 identity could be readily determined. This is the first 

 known instance of the occurrence of this species in New 

 England, but Mr. Cassin* states that several have to his 

 knowledge been taken near Philadelphia. Its usual eastern 

 range, as ornithologists well know, is the vicinity of Chi- 

 cago, it being essentially a prairie species. 



BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE. Quiscalus major Vieill. I now 

 seriously question the occurrence of this southern species in 

 Massachusetts, or anywhere in New England, as even an 

 accidental visitor. I gave it as such in my Catalogue, but a 

 reexamination of the evidence has led me to my present 

 opinion. I think the cases cited by Peabodyf and LinsleyJ 

 (under Q. baritus) as well as that of Mr. Samuels, refer only 

 to the common Crow Blackbird or Purple Grackle. 



SPRUCE PARTRIDGE. Canace Canadensis Bon. The oc- 

 currence of this northern species in the hemlock woods of 

 Gloucester in 1851 was recorded by Mr. F. W. Putnam. || 

 This instance is cited in my own Catalogue, and by Dr. 

 Coues in his "List of the Birds of New England." A second 

 instance is to be now added, as I have learned from Mr. 

 S. C. Martin that a bird of this species was shot in No- 

 vember, a few years since, in Roxbury. These two in- 

 stances seem to be all thus far known, and only give it a 

 place on our list as a very rare, accidental visitor. I have, 

 however, recently learned from Mr. Wm. Brewster, of its 

 capture near Portland, Maine, in 'the autumn of 1868, a 

 locality much south of its usual range. 



* Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. ScL, Vol. xviii, p. 11, 1866. 



fBep. on Orn. Mass., p. 285. 



J Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, Vol. xliv, p. 260. 



|| Catalogue " Birds of Essex Co.," Proc'd's Essex Inst., Vol. i, p. 224. 



