92 General Notes. 



General f!crte^» 



Habits of the Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon). — The following observa- 

 tions are communicated by Mrs. Mary Treat, Green Cove Spring, Florida : 

 " A Kingfisher whose feeding-ground is just in front of my windows fislies 

 from a private wharf, where he is seldom disturbed, and has become so 

 tame that he pursues his avocations wdthout concern, though I may be 

 standing within a few feet of him. I learned that he ejects from the 

 mouth the bones, scales, or other indigestible portions of his food, just 

 like a bird of prey. When the water is so rough that it is difficult 

 for him to procure fish, instead of seeking some sequestered pool he 

 remains at his usual post, occasionally making an ineffectual effort to se- 

 cure his customary prey, until, nearly starved, he resorts to a sour-gum 

 tree (Nyssa aquatica, L.) in the vicinity, and greedily devours the berries. 

 Returning to his post, he soon ejects a pellet of the large seeds and skins 

 of the fruit. I have saved some of these pellets, as well as those composed 

 of fish-bones and scales." The remains of fish which are found in the 

 bird's breeding-holes, giving rise to a very general impression that the nest 

 is constructed of these materials, are probably deposited in this way. The 

 interesting instance of the bird's feeding on fruit brings out the relation- 

 ship between the truly piscivorous species and certain exotic non-aquatic 

 representatives of the family. — - Elliott Coues, Washincjton, D, C. 



The Painted Lark Bunting (PlectropJianes pictus) in Texas. — 

 On November 23, 1876, I saw a flock of Plectrophanes, which I thought 

 w^ere different from either P. maccowni or P. ornatus, and shot one, 

 which proved to be different. On December 20 I shot another, and 

 on December 22 three others. One of these, being sent to Mr. Robert 

 Ridgway, of the Smithsonian Institution, he has kindly identified it for 

 me as Plectrophanes pictus, and states that this is its first record south 

 of Illinois. They are less easily taken than P. maccowni, as they do 

 not fly so compactly as does that species. Their note while on the wing 

 is a simple chirp, while the flocks of P. maccowni keep up constant chat- 

 ter while on the wing. Whether P. pictus is an accidental or a regular 

 winter visitor to Texas, I am unable to state. They were quite plentiful 

 here last winter (1876-77), but may have been driven farther south than 

 usual by the uncommonly cold weather, which had driven away the Robins, 

 Harris's Sparrow, and even Plectrophanes ornatus, all of which were abun- 

 dant the previous winter. — G. H. Ragsdale, Gainesville, Texas. 



Notes on a few Birds observed in New Mexico and Arizona in 

 1876. — 1. Turdus migratorius. Winters abundantly in New Mexico ; 

 a few summer in the high mountains. 



