170 



(Cupidonia cupido\ both of which were given by DeKay, in 1844, as 

 still occurring in New York. Of the Wild Turkey he wrote : 6 they 

 "as I am well informed, are now only found in the counties of Sulli- 

 van, Hockland, Orange, 1 Alleghany and Cattaraugus." Of the Prairie 

 Chicken : 8 "A few are still said to linger about Orange county in this 

 State." Among the latter class may be mentioned the Great White 

 Pelican (Pelecanus trachyrhynchus), which was formerly numerous on 

 the Hudson, and other rivers and lakes in this State. 



I take this means of expressing my warm gratitude to all who have 

 assisted in this work. To the following gentlemen my thanks are 

 especially due: Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell, of Riverdale; Mr. C. H. 

 Simpson, of Peekskill ; Dr. A. K. Fisher, of Sing Sing ; Mr. Peter 

 de Nottbeck, of Fishkill Landing; Mr. Josh Ward, of Cornwall, for 

 many valuable specimens and much information concerning our aqua- 

 tic birds; and to Prof. J. A. Allen and Dr. C. Hart Merriam for their 

 kind assistance in various ways. To Mr. Wm. Church Osborn, of 

 Garrisons, I am particularly indebted for much valuable material ; and 

 for the use of the MSS. notes of his brother, my late lamented friend 

 and fellow laborer in this field, Frederic S. Osborn. 



It has been thought worth while to introduce, in condensed form, 

 the results of extensive tables of measurements of more than 1,900 

 specimens, that I have collected in the Highlands. The average di- 

 mensions of each species will be given, and any remarkable variations 

 noted. 



A. List of all the species known to occur in the Hudson Highlands ; 

 giving the times of occurrence and their relative abundance, with notes on 

 the habits. 



Family, TUBDID^I.. 



1. Turdus migratorius, Linne. ROBIN. An abundant summer, 

 and less common, winter resident ; breeds abundantly. 



The Robins usually place their nests on trees, but this is by no 

 means the situation always chosen. I have noticed them in various 

 other locations. One was placed on the top of a stump, at an eleva- 

 tion of fifteen feet ; another on a stump chopped close to the ground. 

 About civilization, the nests are often placed on the rail-fences. Beams 

 in barns and dilapidated out-buildings often furnish them with shel- 

 tered and comfortable places, wherein to establish house-keeping; so 

 comfortable, in fact, that they are loath to leave them, and so return 

 every spring to their old quarters. In some instances the identical 



6 Zoology of New York, Part II, p. 200, 1844. 



t Italics my own. 8 Same work, p. 206. 



