General Notes. 37 



"Life-Histories,"* carrying the sulyect from the Crows (Corvidce) to the 

 Waders, these and the Swimming Birds being reserved for treatment in a 

 third volume. This volume differs little in general character from the first. 

 It abounds in original observations, combined with much that is gleaned 

 from other authors. The nature of the food of the different species 

 has received at Mr. Gentry's hands very careful attention, his pages 

 fairly bristling with the technical names of the various species of hisects 

 and plants, the fragments of which he has detected in examining the 

 contents of their stomachs. The freer use of vernacular names, in the 

 case of the more common and well-known species, would doubtlosrs have 

 added interest to his extensive " bills of fare" for the non-scientific reader. 

 The occasional adoption of such familiar terms as red-legged locust or 

 " grasshopper," black cricket, sulphur butterfly, cankerworm, pine weevil, 

 etc., in place of the ever-recurring Caloptenus femur-rubrum, Acheta nigra, 

 Colias philodice, Anisopteryx vernata and A. pometaria, Hylobius pales, etc., 

 or chestnut, oak, alder, birch, woodbine-honeysuckle, and strawberry, to 

 take mild examples, instead of Castanea, Quercus, Ahiiis, Betula, Lonicera 

 peridymenum, Fragaria virginiana, etc., would certainly have savored less 

 of pedantry, and beeu far more intelligible to ordinary readers. Mr. 

 Gentry is evidently a friend and admirer of the feathered tribes, and often 

 describes their habits most minutely, especially in relation to their nidifi- 

 cation. Despite some faults of execution, the work before us contributes 

 much of value respecting the habits of our birds, and records many inter- 

 esting points in their history not given by previous writers. — J. A. A. 



Three Additions to the Avifauna of North America. — Mr. Lu- 

 cien M. Turner, United States Signal Officer, stationed for the past three 

 years at St. Michael's, Norton Sound, Alaska, collected during his resi- 

 dence at that post a considerable series of birds, among which are the 

 following species not previously recorded from this continent :' — 



1. Parus cinctus, Bodd. (== sibiricus, Gmel. et auct.). — A species very 

 closely resembling P. hudsonicus, but differing in having the whole side of 

 the neck pure white instead of ashy, conspicuous white edging to remiges 

 and rectrices, and other minor features. Found in company with P. hud- 

 soniais, and not rare, though less common than the latter. Several speci- 

 mens obtained at St. Michael's, March 15, 1875. 



2. Syrnium lapponicum, Retz. — A si)ecimen obtained at the Yukon 

 delta, April 15, 1876. This form resembles S. cinereum, which was also 

 obtained in the same locality, but is very much paler colored. 



* Life-Histories of the Birds of Eastern Pennsylvania. By Thomas G. Gen- 

 try. Vol. II, 8vo, pp. 33S. The Naturalist's Agency, Salem, Mass. 1877. 



