47 [Vol. xv. 



throughout nearly the whole of its North-American range. 

 It goes south in winter to Central America and northern 

 South America." 



A discussion followed in which several members took 

 part. 



Mr. Rothschild thought it quite possible^ taking into 

 consideration its migratory habits, that the bird might have 

 received an " assisted passage/' but Mr. Howard Saunders 

 was of opinion that it had probably escaped from a cage. 

 Mr. Seth- Smith said that, so far as he was aware, no species 

 of Dendroeca had ever been brought to this country in 

 captivity, but Dr. Hartert observed that in Curacao a closely 

 allied species, D. rufopileata, was frequently kept as a cage- 

 bird. Finally, Dr. Sclater said that he saw no reason why 

 the bird should not reach England as an accidental autumn- 

 visitor, and he pointed out that the distance between northern 

 South America and the northern parts of North America 

 was not greater than the distance between South America 

 and England, and that birds blown out of their course might 

 easily reach our shores. 



Dr. Hartert took the opportunity of calling attention to 

 the example of the Sprosser Nightingale (Daulias philomela) 

 exhibited at a recent meeting of the Club [cf. Bull. B. O. C. 

 xv. no. ex. p. 20 (1904)]. Though this specimen showed no 

 traces of having been kept in captivity, he had no doubt that 

 it had escaped from a cage, for all the Sprosser Nightingales 

 had left N.E. Germany two months previous to the date 

 (22nd October) when the specimen had been procured in 

 Kent. Large numbers of this bird were annually captured 

 and exported by dealers, and if well cared for would show 

 little or no trace of having been kept for a month or two in 

 captivity. 



Mr. H. F. Witherby exhibited a Snake (Tropidonotus 

 viperinus) which he had taken from the crop of a Serpent- 

 Eagle (Circa'etus gallicus) killed by him in Algeria. 



