11 BULLETIN OF THE NUTTALL 



Bays he gave the list for what it was worth, expecting and desiring 

 to have it amended and improved; and elsewhere he has said, 

 '' however lenient we may be even towards errors and incorrect 

 statements that apparently might have been avoided, we should 

 also, all of us, never hesitate to expose and to correct whatever we 

 know to be wrong." Unhappily such an attempt on my part has 

 not been very graciously received. He also says " it was but an 

 initiative towards a complete and reliable list of ,the birds of New 

 England," and that it was " at the last moment, and when it could 

 only be done briefly," that " the character of the presence of the 

 species " was added, and that of course the additions were " never 

 exhaustive." Now I will respectfully ask how the general reader 

 was to know this. I received the list " for what it was worth." 

 There was nothing in the introduction to show that it was not con- 

 sidered complete or correct. 



Of course, after all that has been written upon the subject, I was 

 aware that generally a species is not resident individualli/ in a 

 given section of territory. His remark respecting the Robin, that 

 the birds found with us in winter are not the same as those that 

 pass the summer here, but " are of a very different I'ace" is not at all 

 to the point at issue. As a species, I say Ihirdus migratorhis is a resi- 

 dent of New England. If, however, as he holds, the birds found in 

 winter are another and very different race, — as race is now under- 

 stood. — he should have so indicated it in the Catalogue, perhaps 

 as " Turdus hyperhoreus. Arctic Robin. Winter visitant." I in- 

 tended in reply to cite at length all the facts that bear upon the 

 points in dispute, but found that to do so would require quite too 

 much of the valuable space of the Bulletin ; but I trust that I have 

 brought forward sufficient evidence to show that my statements 

 were not altogether " conjectures " and " unsupported assertions." 



The following -five species, among others. Dr. Brewer claimed 

 had never been taken in New England, and therefore should be ex- 

 cluded from the list of New England birds. In respect to this, I 

 simply asked "if previous record did not show that these at least 

 could be retained," intending thereby to imply that I considered 

 this to be the case. Tho following are the birds and their 

 record : — 



Quiscalua major. Boat-tailed Grackle. — "Q. 6an7ns, Bonaparte. 

 Thrush Blackbird. New Haven. Of the Thrush Blackbird one speci- 

 men only has been observed, by Dr. Whelpley at New Haven, and of 



