RARER BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 647 



Massachusetts fauna, so that a revision of a portion of that 

 part is already necessary.* The whole number of species is 

 now three hundred and eight, or excluding the House 

 Sparrow (Passer domestica), which has been introduced by 

 man, the Goldfinch (Carduelis elegans), the Serin Finch 

 (Serinus meridionalis} , and the South American Humming 

 Bird, which may also have been (but probably were not) 

 similarly introduced three hundred and live, instead of 

 three hundred, as there stated, or two hundred and ninety- 

 six, as given in my Catalogue. Three of the species re- 

 corded in the Catalogue being now no longer counted, the 

 whole number of species of birds added to the fauna of the 

 state since 1864 is sixteen ; eleven, and probably fifteen, of 

 which can unquestionably be legitimately counted. 



In this connection it may be asked, in view of the nu- 

 merous recent additions to the bird fauna of this state : Are 

 not certain species that were formerly regarded as scarce 

 here now increasing in numbers ? and is it not probable that 

 some of the species recently detected have but recently made 

 their first appearance here ? 



It is probable that a few species have recently increased 

 and still are increasing in numbers ; but it seems more prob- 

 able that in most cases this apparent increase is more the 

 result of the much greater number of observers now in the 

 field than formerly, and the consequently much greater 

 amount of attention recently given to the ornithology of our 

 state. Doubtless other species will soon be detected here. 



The occurrence of several species in Massachusetts whose 



* The following corrections should be made in the first two parts of this article : 

 Page 512, last line, for seven read twelve. Page 512, add to the second foot note, Buteo 

 Cooperi, Tyrannus Dominicensis, Xanthocephalus icterocephalus, Nyctherodius viola- 

 ceus, Sterna cantiaca. Page 513, change the sentence beginning in the ninth line to read 

 as follows : Others now added, especially the California Hawk (Buteo Cooperi), Baird's 

 Finch (Centronyx Bairdii), and the Gray King Bird (Tyrannus Dominicensis), are sim- 

 ilar and equally remarkable cases of western and southern species straggling far 

 beyond their usual range. Page 513, 19th line, for specimens read species. Page 513, 25th 

 line, for three hundred read three hundred and fifteen. Page 516, 1st line, for 1862 read 

 1861. Page 518, 12th line, for characteristic read well-marked. Page 582, 19th line, for 

 frontalis read Califqrnicus. Page 583, 16th line, for epilipes read exilipes. Page 584, 2d 

 line from bottom, for have read had. Page 585, 8th line, dele of. 



