30 JJeane on Albinism and Melanism in Birds. 



Detroit is a specimen of the Coot [Falica americana) which is white, 

 marked with dark blotches. It was shot at Detroit, Mich., in 

 1873, and was mounted by Mr. Collins. Mr. Aiken informs me 

 that he once saw a beaxitiful white specimen of this species in the 

 Calumet Marshes in Indiana, but failed to procure it. 



I have in my possession a wing of the American Bittemi with 

 one secondary quill pure white. Mr. R. L. Newcomb of Salem, 

 Mass., who shot the bird, states that the rest of its plumage was 

 normal. 



In Mr. Boardman's collection is a Lesser Scaup Duck in white 

 plumage. Mr. John Akhurst informs me that he has seen an albino 

 specimen of the Surf Duck. 



The only instance of albinism detected among the Laridce which 

 has come to my notice is in a specimen of Heermann's White- 

 headed Gull, which Dr. Cooper informs me he shot in California. 

 He writes : " I never shot but one albinistic specimen in California, 

 a Larus heermauni, with a white patch about three inches square 

 across the secondary quills. It looked very pretty in the air." Dr. 

 Cooper also says that he has seen a pale and mottled specimen of 

 the Fulvous Tree Duck. 



The only additional example of melanism which I can add to the 

 previous list is represented by the Carolina Rail, for which I am 

 indebted to Mr. Oilman W. Brown of West Newbury, Mass., who 

 presented me with the specimen. It was one of about sixty of this 

 species shot by Mr. Brown on the shores of the Merrimack River 

 at West Newbury, September 1, 1877. At a short distance the 

 bird looks almost black. The upper parts are black with a tinge of 

 rufous, more especially on the scapulars, which are only tipped with 

 this color. The throat, sides of the neck, and breast are dull brown, 

 belly and under tail-coverts black. There is a white ring around 

 each eye, and a small patch of white behind each eye on the 

 occiput. 



As I remarked in my previous list, it is strange that albinism 

 should occur so frequently in some families and be of such rare 

 occurrence in others ; and it would be interesting to learn from any 

 of the readers of the Bulletin of any instances which may have come 

 to their notice of this abnoi'mal plumage in such families as the 

 TroglodytidcB, Vireonidce, or subfamily Icteriiice. 



