82 BULLETIN OF THE NVTTALL 



Nest and Eggs of the Alaskan Wren, — In a small collection of 

 birds' skins, nests, and eggs recently accj[uired by the Mtiseum of Compara- 

 tive Zoology, collected at the Pribylow Islands, Alaska, is the nest and 

 two eggs of the Alaskan Wren {Troglodytes partmlus var. alasce^isis), which 

 are believed to be the first ever seen by naturalists. The nest is quite large 

 and very compactly built, being composed externally of fine moss of a 

 bright green color, interwoven with fine roots, and lined heavily with hair 

 and feathers. Conspicuous among the latter are the rosy-tipped feathers of 

 the LeucostirAe griseinucha. The hairs are rather coarse and white, three 

 to four or five inches in length, and appear to be hairs of the Polar Bear. 

 The nest was obtained in June, 1876, on St. George Island, by Mr. W. J. 

 Mclntyre, to whom it was brought by a native. It is said to have been 

 placed deep down in the crevices of large rocks, and to have originally 

 contained twelve eggs, all but two of which were broken before they came 

 into Mr. Mclntyre 's possession. These measure, respectively, .68 by .51 

 and .60 by .50. Their general color is dull white, with a very few 

 minute dots of reddish, so few and small as to be easily overlooked. The 

 nest is represented to be very hard to find, being placed so deeply among 

 the rocks, this being the only oue Mr. Mclntyre could obtain during two 

 years' residence at the Islands, although he had a standing offer for them 

 of about ten dollars in gold each. — J. A. Allen, Cambridge, Mass. 



JuNCO OREGONUS IN ILLINOIS. — October 14, 1875, 1 saw a flock of some 

 dozen birds in a willow-tree, and killed one with a sling. The rest flew 

 off, and were not seen again. The specimen w^as sent to Mr. E. W. Nel- 

 son, who identified it as Junco oregonus, the first one of this species cap- 

 tured in this State, its extreme eastern range as heretofore known being 

 Kansas. — H. K. Coale, Chicago, III. 



Leptoptila albifrons, a Pigeon new to the United States Fauna. 

 — Mr. George B. Sennett, a diligent and zealous ornithologist, who has 

 been making collections and observations in Southern Texas, writes as fol- 

 lows from Hidalgo, Tex., under date of May 2, 1877 : — 



" I have a dove which I do not identify, and accordingly send you a 

 description of a specimen killed April 18. This is a male. I have secured 

 four specimens, and hope to find the nest, as I am satisfied they breed 

 here. Their cooing is low and short, ending with a falling inflection, and 



is easily recognized by its peculiarity Length, 12.50 ; extent, 



19.50 ; wing, 6.35 ; tail, 4.50 ; tarsus, 1.37, middle toe and claw the same ; 

 bill, .62, black. Iris yellow. Orbital space small, faintly red and blue. 

 Tail square, of twelve feathers. Upper parts greenish-olive, the metallic 

 coloring purple with bronzy-green reflections, and restricted to back of 

 neck. Crown drab, shading to nearly white on the forehead. Chin white. 

 Foreneck creamy-slate. Belly white. Sides ashy. Wings brown, slaty 

 below, and whole underwing-coverts are bright chestnut, which color ex- 



