72 BULLETIN OF THE NUTTALL 



ing given the subject careful attention, he announces his conclusion that 

 this interesting form is only an unusual developmental phase of the 

 Arctic Tern (Sterna macrura), corresponding to a similar but heretofore 

 little-known (in this country at least) stage of the common Tern (T. hi- 

 rundo). Mr. Brewster has gone carefully into a discussion of the details 

 of the question, and seems to give good grounds for his position. — J. A. A. 



The Birds of Ritchie County, West Virginia. — Not long since, 

 the same author published a list of the birds observed by him in West 

 Virginia,* based on the joint labors of himself, Messrs. Ruthven Deane, 

 and Ernest Ingersoll during the interval between April 25 and May 9, 

 1874. The list includes one hundred species, with valuable field-notes, 

 and forms an important addition to our faunal literature. — J. A. A. 



Birds of New England. — This enumeration by Dr. Brewer,t of 

 three hundred and thirty-six species, will prove useful in showing the 

 recent additions to the avian fauna of New England, the presumed cor- 

 rect distribution of the species inhabiting that section, and that certain 

 species accredited to it have never been obtained within its limits. 

 Twenty-nine belonging to the latter class are expunged, the majority, we 

 think, with good reason ; but does not previous record show that Quisca- 

 lus major, Corvus ossifragus, JEgialitis wilsonius, Sula fiber,% and Nettion 

 crecca § can at least be retained as birds that have occurred here 1 



Though referring to and correcting many of the errors of earlier lists, 

 we find no credit given to some recent authorities from which it is evident 

 facts were gleaned. We regret to find, too, that this, our latest corrected 

 treatise on the subject, omits to give the " manner and character " of the 

 "presence "of several species with cpuite the exactness that the record 

 warrants. 



The following, for instance, classed as summer residents (it being stated 

 of Corvus americanus that " a few winter "), are constant residents in 

 Southern New England, and one or two probably also in Northern 

 New England, namely, Turdus migratorius, Corvus americanus, Picus vil- 

 losus, Otus wilsonianus, Brachyotus cassini, Nyctale acadica, Nisus fuscus. 

 The following, classed as summer residents (presumably of all New Eng- 



* Some Observations on the Birds of Bitchie County, West Virginia. By 

 William Brewster. Annals of the Lye. Nat. Hist., N. Y., Vol. XI, pp. 129- 

 146. [Published June, 1S75.] 



+ Catalogue of the Birds of New England, with brief Notes indicating the 

 Manner and Character of their Presence ; with a List of Species included in 

 previous Catalogues believed to have been wrongly classed as Birds of New 

 England. By T. M. Brewer. Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., Vol. XVII, pp. 

 436-454, July, 1875. 



J See Linsley, Amer. Journ. Sci. and Arts, Vol. XLIV, 1843. 



§ Bryant, Proc. Bost. Nat. Hist., Vol. V, p. 195. 



