182 THE NATURALIST OF THE ST. CROIX 



Also look at the long-beaked Crow that made such a 

 singular note." With this letter is a note asking Mr. 

 Ridgway to ascertain the contents of the boxes that the 

 gift may be properly entered. Mr. Ridgway's report is: 

 Six mounted specimens ; nineteen skins ; eighteen eggs ; 

 one skin of fish from Florida and one Corvus americanus 

 with malformed bill. April 26, 1879: "I was out in 

 the pasture this week and found the snow quite deep. 

 Saw a common striped snake sunning himself on the 

 snow. It was very active and I ran it over the snow for 

 some distance, when it went into a brook and after a 

 moment or two went under the water and remained 

 there apparently disgusted with the looks of things this 

 time of year. Is it common for snakes to be out on 

 snowshoes ? ' ' September 8, 1879, Mr. Boardman writes : 

 ' ' We have had a great flight of new birds migrating of 

 late — a large flock of Razor-billed Shearwaters, seven of 

 which were killed ; also a black Tern, new to me and a 

 very pretty White Heron. I also had a Black Vulture 

 sent me and heard of a Turkey Buzzard having been 

 killed at Grand Manan, but I do not know the species. 

 The laughing gulls have been very numerous about the 

 islands of late, most of them young ones." In a letter 

 written September 16, 1879, he says : 



I noticed what you say about sending the skins of the Black 

 Tern to Mr. Ridgway for identification. I don't think there is 

 any trouble in making them out as they were all three old birds, 

 one in full dark plumage, two in change, the white feathers all 

 coming through about the lower parts ; but I had another bird 

 sent me I could not make out, a new bird to me ; it may be a 

 Gull-billed Tern as its bill was more like a Gull's, tail forked and 

 long wings like a Tern. None of my books described it so I could 

 not be certain. I sent the skin to Mr. Ridgway to name about the 



