THE CANADIAN SPORTSMAN AND NATURAL 





Yellow-billed Cuckoo) ; Olaucidium passeri- 1 

 man,vta. Calif ornicum, Bidgway (Pigmy ( >wl ;) 

 according to Bidgway'e List, there are only two 

 epecies of tbia genus in North America. The 

 G. gnoma, Wag]., is a California bird, a 

 occurence in the vicinity of Ottawa i- doubt- 

 ful. Nauclerus /vreatca, Vig >re (the Swal- 

 low-tailed Kite). This genus is now cha 

 to EUtnoides, and Bidgway gives it in hie List 

 aaforficaius. Vigors should not be quoti 

 the authority, as it is Linnaeus' type of Falco 

 fureattu ; and Poranza Jatnai 

 (the Little Black Kail)? With the exception 

 of the Thrush var.. the Gnateatcher and the 

 Yellow-billed Cuckoo, this is the first record 

 of the occurrence of the above birds in this 

 portion of Canada, and it is strange that no 

 • determinate remarks appear in the report re" 

 garding them. Are these birds preserved, and 

 where are they bo be seen? A descriptive 

 paper by .1 . l'>. Tyrrell, B. A. .on Sakcui'TII'.i:. or 

 parasites found on Canadian Birds, i? accom- 

 panied with illustrations. Dr. Cowdry.ot Tor- 

 onto, is at present at work on this class oi oeto- 

 parasitic tonus which he mounts tor the mi- 

 croscope. ' Notes on the Ottawa Unionidae ." by 

 F. R. Latchford, is a good contribution to our 

 conchological literature. — Unio borealis, A. V. 

 Gray, is illustrated as a new species from the 

 Ottawa River. There are other papers of 

 equal value and interest. In conclusion, the 

 work is in a high degree creditable to the Club, 

 which should be encouraged for their industry 

 and intelligence. — C. 



£orre$pon6ence. 



Dear StR, — I send you enclosed three 

 specimens of a peculiar hammer-headed fly, 

 which I see here every year about this time 

 on the side of a house. These pretty little flies 

 have the curious habit of collecting into a 

 dense mass as evening draws on. I have 

 noticed them, night after night, for the last 

 three weeks, in the angle made by two brick 

 walls beneath the porch of a doorway. During 

 the daytime they are very bright and active. 



and !: 



• in. The 

 is at i _ 



8 y, but I think I 



I shall be obi:. 



name, and if it is a rarity. I -hail be pleaded 

 to send you a good - 

 I am, d< . 



J. Furnas. 

 Ottawa, Oct. 17th, 1- 



NOTB. — The fly It-loi ;_■- 

 genus SphyracepJuMl 



rare. It may 

 but I have no immediate opportunit; 

 pare it with the description. I: the 



latter, you may have a new Bpecies. I 

 you secured a number of them. 

 is remarkable for its stall- which are 



placed on stem- _ .: trom tfa 



the head. Some species are found fossil in 

 Prussian amber. — C. 



LIST OF THE BIRDS OF WESTERN 

 ONTARIO. 



By J. A. Mobdkn and W. B. Sauhmbs. 



The following list lias been prepared cl 

 from observations made at and near I ! 

 London, Mitchells Bay, Point Pelee : aud Luck- 

 now. 



Hyde Park and London, in Middlesex county, 

 are in the centre of a large aud fertile agricul- 

 tural district abounding in woodland 

 Mitchell's Bay at the St. Clair Flats and P 

 Pelee are also rich in woodland birds, and 

 besides are noted for their water birds : while 

 Lucknow in Bruce county is farther north, and 

 therefore a greater number of the northern 

 breed there, while some of the southern are 

 wanting entirely. 



To Mr. E. W. Sandys. Chatham. Out, we 

 are deeply indebted for his valuable assistance, 

 more especially among the water 

 for the only records of a few laud sp> 



It is hoped that the publication of this 

 will draw from others in Ontario, criticisms and 

 additions to our fauna, together with more < 

 knowledge about many of our rar. - 



The nomenclature adopted is that given by 

 Bidgway, in the Smithsonian Catalogue ot . 



1. Hvioekkla - i Thrush. 



