28 



OROTTHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-^0. 2 



heavily blotched with numerous shades of 

 brown, forming a ring about the large end of 

 one, entirely covering the same end ot another, 

 and the small end of the third, 1.49x1.18— 1.4Sx 

 1.19; 1.4()xl.51; a fine Hawk and a handsome 

 set of eggs. 



Black-breasted Woodpecker. {Sphynqdcm 

 thi/roideus.) Secured a female, do not think it 

 common, have not seen a male, general plum- 

 age black and dull-gray, barred, belly yellow, 

 rump white, head brown, tail with the middle 

 featliers white-barred, outer web of tirst pair 

 white, three large oval white spots on inner web, 

 rest of tail black. Length 9|, wing o G-10, tail 

 3 3-10, tarsi 6-10, bill 9-10. 



Pygmy N^uthatch, {Sitla pymma.) Found a 

 flock of at least fifty feeding in the pines, in a 

 gulch tlu'ee miles south-west of Ft. Lewis, in 

 company with a troop of Titmice and a few 

 woodi)eckers ; secured two specimens. In their 

 actions these birds resemble the woodpeckers, 

 hanging in every conceivable position upon the 

 trunk and limbs of the pines, peering into every 

 chink and cranny for its food, and will feed 

 within a few feet of a person without an atom 

 of fear, uttering a short sharp note which is 

 quite loud and issued from the throats of the 

 entire flock if frightened by the repoi-t of a 

 gun. They then move ott' to a short distance 

 and soon resume their former placidit}-. Crown 

 olive-brown, back olive, an obscure nuchal spot 

 on nape, white, in one specimen it was quite 

 distinct. Tail black, nnddle feathers white 

 tipped with light olive, 1st and 2nd pair with 

 white spot near tip, under parts a dirty white, 

 upper mandible black, under mandible horn 

 colored at base, feet black. Bill .45 — tail rath- 

 er more than 1.25, tarsi .GO, hind toe .40, wing 

 2.60— total length a trifle less than 4. 



Mr. F. H. Carpenter is completing arrange- 

 ments for an extended exploration in the Dead 

 river region of Maine, which has been visited 

 by him on several former occasions. He will 

 be accompanied by Messrs. F. W. and C. H. 

 Andros of Taunton Mass., gentlemen of consid- 

 erable experience in arduous field collecting. 

 With such additional assistance, he expects to 

 complete his unfinished work among the birds 

 of the region. 



Dr. Arthur LeMoyne will soon begin his self- 

 imposed task of searching amongst the swamps 

 of Louisiana and Georgia for the Bachmans 

 Warbler. While wishing him the best of suc- 

 cess we cannot anticipate very great results at 

 present. The spring migration may bring him 

 his desired species. 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



J. A. WRIGHT. 

 265 No. Beacon St., Brighton, Mass., 



ASSOCIATE EDITOR. 

 Address all communications for tbis department as above 



This month we present our readers with 

 the first of a series ot papers, on "Collect- 

 ing on the Amazon," b}' one who has been 

 there, collecting and studying the insect 

 fauna of that beautiful country. They will 

 prove both interesting and instructive. 



Sphingidse of New England. 



HY WRIUIIT & HATE."- 



Sl'lUXX M'SOITIOSA, CLEM. 



Head gray, palpe brownish, thorax, black on 

 top, gray on sides and beneath, with a brown- 

 ins on either side. The tufts at the base of the 

 thorax are bluish black, sprinkled with gray. 



Abdomen dull ochre yellow, with a slender 

 black dorsal line, and on either side a row of 

 black spots, which comlune into a band at the 

 anal extremity. 



Under side grayish. 



Anteriors light brown ; a slender black line 

 extends from the base, along the median vein, 

 to the 3d median veinlet, where it forks, extend- 

 ing, on either only a short distance further : 

 another occupies the space between this line 

 and the sub-median vein ; two V shaped marks 

 lie between the 1st and the 2nd and 3d median 

 veinlets, and another black line crosses the disc ; 

 diseal spot small and white ; a slender line re- 

 curred upon itself, with the apex toward the 

 margin, occui)ies the space between the 2nd and 

 3d sub-costal veinlets, followed by a black line 

 in the next space and that by a short oblique 

 odical streak ; the centres of the spaces between 

 all the veinlets have a grayish shade ; the luar- 

 ginal space is occupied by a dark brown or 

 blackish band, darkest and broadest toward the 

 anal angle and preceded by a wavy brown line 

 which extends across the veinlets. 



Fringes black spotted with white. 



Posteriors ochre yellow, broadly margined 

 with black, and with an almost absolute cen- 

 tral band. Fringes yellow, becoming white at 

 the anal angle. 



Underside ochre yellow, with dark brown 

 margins. 



