3 26 General Notes. tay 
Rare Birds in the Vicinity of Philadelphia. —On Sept. 5, 1894, a speci- 
men of Contopfus borealis was secured near Holmesburg, Pa., and on 
May 18, 1895, a specimen of Empzdonax traillid alnorum was secured. 
This is, I believe, the first definite record for the latter in this part of 
the State, as I am unable to find any in Stone’s ‘Birds of Eastern Penn- 
sylvania and New Jersey. —Wi2MER"STONE, Academy of Natural Sciences, 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
A Few Notes on the Avifauna Columbiana. — A Swallow-tailed Kite 
(Llanoides forficatus) was observed flying over the Virginia side of the 
Aqueduct Bridge, by the writer, April 11, 1897. This bird is exceedingly 
rare here and records for this locality are scarce. 
On the same date I took a set of eggs of the Turkey Vulture, about two 
and a half miles south of Falls Church, which is a very early date for this 
locality, and merits a notice. 
As spring records for the Connecticut Warbler are scarce, it may not be 
amiss to say that I noticed a specimen May 9g, 1897, in a swampy ravine, 
on Eastern Branch, south of the Reform School.—PauL BARTSCH, 
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. 
Northern New Jersey Notes.—In consequence of the lack of a New 
Jersey record of the Cerulean Warbler (Dezdrotca rara) in ‘The Birds 
of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey,’ by Witmer Stone, I desire to 
note the capture of this species on an oak clad hill of Boonton, Morris 
Co., N. J., about the first of September, 1887. In the same township I 
took a young Henslow’s Sparrow (Ammodramus henslowt2) in a tussocky 
meadow on August 8, 1889.— SYLVESTER D. Jupp, Department of Agrt- 
culture, Washington, D. C. 
Bird Notes from Massachusetts. — Mniotilta varia.— On the 15th of 
December, 1895, a single individual of this species was seen among the 
pear trees in the yard. A heavy snow-storm was raging at the time, but 
the bird was actively engaged clambering about on the trunks, on the 
sheltered sides of the trees, where the damp snow did not cling. This 
bird may have been the same one, seen in the same spot November 13, in 
company with a flock of Chickadees. On both occasions the bird was 
very tame and confiding, allowing me to approach near enough so see all 
its markings. It was not seen again after the snow, which was the first 
heavy storm of the winter. 
Dendroica coronata. — On the 29th of July, 1896, a single bird was seen 
in an orchard at Mt. Wachusett, Mass. It was engaged in catching flies 
and other insects, and several times uttered its characteristic fchuck and 
wheest. The occurrence of this species at this date seems noteworthy as 
being several weeks earlier than the usual appearance of the bird in this 
region. 
Junco hyemalis. — It is interesting to note that two pairs of Slate-colored 
Juncos nested on the summit of Mt. Wachusett during the summer of 
