
* 

RARER BIRDS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 583 
Yellow Bird (.Astragalinus tristis), breed very late in the 
season, they may have retired in July farther north for this 
purpose, as I did not meet with them later in the season. 
This is very probably the fact, since Mr. William Brewster 
found this species breeding in August this year at Gorham, 
New Hampshire. 
RED-PoLL FiwcHg. Ægiothus linaria Cab. During the 
past five years this little northern visitor has been several 
times very numerous in Massachusetts. It was especially so 
during the winters of 1866—67, 1867—68, and quite so in 
1868—69 
A series of skins in the collection of the Museum of Com- 
parative Zoólogy, collected in this state by Mr. C. J. May- 
nard, represent four of the so-called species of this group 
recently recognized, —the common ZZ. linaria, the sup- 
posed larger Mealy Redpoll, Æ. canescens Aud., =Æ. epi- 
lipes Coues, the Æ. rostratus, and the Æ. fuscescens, 
described as a new species by Dr. Coues.* From a careful 
examination of many specimens, from the far north, as well 
as from Massachusetts, I cannot consider these forms as dis- 
tinct species, since the differences on which they are based 
are very inconstant, and connected by endless intermediate 
stages. The extreme forms to which these several specific 
designations have been applied are quite different from each 
other, and if the differences were constant might well be 
regarded as distinct species. But, as already stated, the dif- 
erences are not constant, and it is almost impossible to draw 
a separating line between these several so-called species.f 
Rep CnossnsiLL. Curvirostra Americana Wilson. This 
bird, as is well known, is very irregular in its visits to this 
state, not only in respect to numbers but in regard to the 
season of its appearance. It is generally most numerous in 
winter, but is sometimes more or less common throughout 



* See his ‘‘ Monograph of the Genus ZEgiothus," Proc. Arie Acad. Nat. Sci., Nov., 1865. 
f On this point see farther my * Notes on the Birds of Iowa, Illinois, etc Jin thie Mee 
moirs of the Boston Society of Natural History, Vol. i, s iv, p. 515 (foot note). 
