resume of the more important papers of that period, which was a most 

 fruitful one. 



Dr. J. A. Allen presented a paper upon the "Mammals of Costa 

 Rica/' based upon a collection made by Mr. Geo. K. Cherrie. 

 Among the specimens exhibited were several representing species new 

 to science. [Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. iii, pp. 203-218.] 



April 1, 1 89 1. — The President in the chair. Ten persons present. 



Mr. Geo. B. Sennett presented a paper on " The Quails of the United 

 States," illustrating it with a large series of specimens. The habitat 

 and characteristic habits of each species were considered in detail. 

 He referred to the fact that it is now difficult to obtain skins of Quails 

 worthy of credit as testimony in the problem of geographical distribu- 

 tion, owing to the fact that many live birds have been introduced into 

 various parts of the country, and these interbreed with the local races. 

 As evidence of this, he stated that a Florida Quail has been taken in 

 Michigan. 



Cohhus virginianus ridgzvayi is the most recent addition to our 

 fauna in this group. The type is in the collection of Mr. G. Frean 

 Morcom, of Chicago. Mr. Sennett had before him six male skins, 

 one male head and six female skins of this species ; it approaches C. 

 v. mexicanus and even more southern forms, but the female strongly 

 resembles the female of C. v. texanus, whose habitat is separated from 

 that of ridgwayi by a lofty mountain chain, and texanus occupies a 

 lower altitude, as well. The call notes are, according to Mr. Wm. 

 Brewster, the same as those of virginianus. 



Among the oddities of Quail life, Mr. Sennett exhibited albinistic 

 and melanistic specimens of the common Bob-white, of an albino 

 Florida Quail, and a hybrid between C. v. texanus and Callipepla 

 squamata. 



In the course of his remarks, Mr. Sennett stated, on the authority 

 of Mr. Elliot, that the Bob-white had been known to migrate, espec- 

 ially in the northern portion of its habitat, which statement was ques- 

 tioned by some of the members, who considered that accounts of the 

 migration of this bird needed confirmation. 



Mr. Sennett also read some bird notes from the note book of Samuel 

 E. Bacon, Jr., of Erie, Pa. He tells of a Crow {Corvus americanus) 

 killing a Flicker {Cotapies auratus), and notes four specimens of the 

 Pileated Woodpecker {Ceophlceus pileaius) taken near Erie. He also 

 states that the " Blue-bill Duck " {Aylhya marila nearctica) has been 



