American Museum of Natural History. 263 



II. EXTIRPATED SPECIES. 



1. PlautllS impennis. GREAT AUK. The former existence 

 of this species in Massachusetts is attested by the occurrence of 

 its bones in the Indian shell-heaps of the coast, particularly at 

 Ipswich, and there are also unquestionable allusions to its pres- 

 ence on Cape Cod at the time the coast was explored by Gosnold 

 in 1602 (see Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, I, 1876, 59). 



2. Grus americana. WHOOPING CRANE. This species was 

 given by Emmons in 1833 as a rare but regular visitant, but there 

 is no later record of its occurrence. It unquestionably occurred 

 here at the time of the first settlement of the country, in common 

 with the following species. 



3. Grus mexicana. SANDHILL CRANE. Unquestionably 

 more or less abundant two hundred years ago (see Bull. Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, I, 1876, 58), but there is no recent record of its 

 occurrence. 



4. Meleagris gallopavo. WILD TURKEY. Well known to 

 have been a common species in Southern New England for a 

 long time subsequent to the first settlement of this part of the 

 country (see Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, I, 1876, 55), but long since 

 ceased to exist here in a wild state. Considered as nearly ex- 

 tinct by Emmons in 1833, but said by Hitchcock to be at that 

 time " frequently met with on Mount Holyoke " (Rep. Geol. 

 Mass., etc., 1833, 549). 



Other species virtually extirpated, are the Prairie Hen (Tym- 

 panuchus cupido], now restricted to Martha's Vineyard, where a 

 few representatives of this formerly rather common species still 

 exist (see anted, p. 241); the Whistling Swan (Olor columbianus), 

 now only a rare straggler, and probably also the Trumpeter Swan 

 (Olor buccinator). To these may doubtless be added the Labra- 

 dor or Pied Duck (Camptolaimus labradorius}. (See Rowley, 

 Orn. Miscel., pt. VI, 1877, 205-333; also Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 

 III, 1878, 79). 



1886.] 



