432 NOTES ON THE 
we can only speak in general terms of the power, purity and 
volume of the notes, their faultless modulation and long con- 
tinuance.” 
That this species breeds about the head waters of the Miss- 
issippi and the head of Lake Superior there can be little doubt, 
as it may be seen there as late as July according to observa- 
tions of parties visiting those regions who claim to know the 
bird well. 
The coloration of the sexes is essentially alike, neither hav- 
ing the concealed patch of scarlet feathers on the crown until 
the second year. It is common in migration and no species 
visiting the State has contributed greater numbers to the gun 
of the collector for scientific purposes, through mistaken iden- 
tity, yet each individual which escapes is too busy to recognize 
the disaster further than to get away for the moment from the 
noise of the gun that has slain his equally industrious comrade. 
Their autumnal migration brings them to us about the last 
week in September, when they are somewhat promiscuously 
mixed with Satrapa and several other species, remaining some- 
times until the latter part of October. 
SPECIFIC CHAKACTERS. 
Above dark greenish-olive, passing into bright olive-green 
on the rump and outer edges of the wings and tail; crown 
with a large concealed patch of scarlet feathers which are 
white at the base; the under parts are grayish-white tinged 
with pale olive yellow, especially behind; a ring round the eye, 
two bands on the wing coverts, and the exterior of the inner 
tertials, white. 
Length, 4.50; wing, 2.35; tail, 1.85. 
Habitat, North America. 
POLIOPTILA CERULEA (L.). (751.) 
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. 
Long believed to be a summer resident, no bird has been 
more diligently sought after here than this. My friend W. L. 
Tiffany, a collector with large experience at Cape May, and 
otherwheres, called my attention to the general history of this 
species in 1874. In all the many most delightful explorations 
about the vicinity of Minneapolis which we had together we 
both kept it constantly in mind, and not in vain, although at 
that time unsuccessful, for since then several have been ob- 
tained by different collectors. Dr. Coues says in his ‘‘Birds of 
