18 Forty-fifth Report on tbe 



in this place the bird is not plentiful and is in great danger of 

 becoming altogether extinct. Although the male was taken on the 

 22d of December, his crop was reported to contain grasshoppers 

 and leaves. Dr. Lintner, State Entomologist, states that such 

 an occurrence is not at all strange, as living grasshoppers are 

 sometimes found upon the snow in the midst of winter. 



Other birds of more than passing interest which have been 

 added to the collection are: a Black G-yrfalcon {Falco rusticolus 

 obsoletus, [G-m.] ), shot in Monroe Co., N. Y.; a pair (male and 

 female) of Evening Grosbeaks {Coccothraustes vespertinus [Coop.] ). 

 shot in Way land, Steuben Co., N. Y.; and a Turkey Buzzard 

 (Cathartes aura [Linn.] ), shot in Clarendon, Orleans Co., "N. Y. 



The Black Gyrfalcon is said to be rare everywhere. The speci- 

 men under consideration is remarkable because of its very dark 

 color. The Evening Grosbeak, while not usually considered a 

 member of the avian fauna of New York, occasionally comes into 

 the state from the westward. The Turkey Buzzard is not plenti- 

 ful in our state. 



Dr. F. J. H. Merrill has presented fine specimens of shells from 

 our own state and from the coast of Florida. 



Mr. John M. Clarke, Assistant Palaeontologist, has presented 

 a small collection of shells gathered in Ontario county, N. Y. 

 These shells are interesting and valuable as coming from a county 

 of which the mollusks are almost entirely unrepresented in our 

 collection. The collection also contains the specimens of Gund- 

 lachia from Sucker Brook, concerning which Mr. Clarke pub- 

 lished a note in the American Journal of Science, March, 1882. 



The skeleton of the elephant " Columbia," which was last year 

 reported to be at Kochester undergoing maceration, has not yet 

 been delivered to the museum. The work upon it is nearly com- 

 pleted and the specimen will be ready for shipment next month. 



A list of the additions to this department is appended. Notes 

 which are believed to be of interest are added to some of the 

 entries in the list. 



Charles W. Samson, who has been employed since December, 

 1890, in the capacity of page in Geological Hall, has made 

 himself generally helpful to me when his time has not been 

 otherwise occupied. 



