124 General Notes. [ February, 
cylindrical barrel for half its length; at the point where the vane 
begins, it sends off a bunch of barbs constituting an after-shaft; 
it then becomes channeled along the under side, and gives off its 
loose barbs alternately on either side, forming a disconnected 
feather (whether barbicels and hooklets are present or not I can- — 
not now determine for want of a microscope). The proximal 
half of this duplex affair is in all respects a perfect feather of 
ordinary character. The distinction of the two feathers is clearly 
seen at the point where the end of the channeled and densely- 
pithy shaft changes into the enlarged, cylindrical and nearly hol- 
low quill of the terminal a ae TER feather. The relations 
of the two being such, they must have sprouted from the same 
matrix, one after the thes, the true feather following after the 
temporary downy one, which is deciduous, and falls off when the 
duckling is about ten inches long. The process is essentially the — 
same, of course, as that by which the downy tip of an ordinary 
contour-feather is shed; but it Shoes not be expected to occur in 
the case of sucha particu larly strong and stiff rectrix as Erisma- 
tura possesses.—Liliott Coues, Turtle Siri. Dakota, Fuly, 1874. 
Nore on RANELLA CLATHRATA Gray.—Last winter I collected 
the above species at Cedar Keys, Fla. I found the shells in shal- _ 
low water, occupying dead shells of Mercenaria mortoni; also — 
attached to the pretty little coral, Oculina diffusa. Through Mr. — 
Bland I submitted specimens to Geo. W W. Tryon, Jr., who, aftera 
careful examination, identifies them as above. This is a west — 
coast form not heretofore known to exist on the eastern coast, — 
and adds another species to the list common to both oceans. | 
Ranella caudata is our usual form, and abundant in Florida— | 
Calkins. 4 
SPARROWS AND PEEWEES.—My residence is in the country 
(Chickies, Lancaster, Co., Pa.), and for about forty years the pee- | 
wee flycatcher (Sayornis ' fuscus) has nested under my portico, 
until 1877, when several European or domestic sparrows (Fringilla a 
domestica) appeared, and not only attacked the resisting peewees 
during several days when these were repairing their nest, butas 
fast as one party built the other demolished, tearing the nest to 
pieces and littering the porch below, without renewing or occU- 
pying the premises.—S. S. Haldeman. 4 
Tue PRAIRIE CHICKEN IN Catirornia.—A fact of considerable a 
interest to our sportsmen has recently been noted in connection — 
with the prairie chicken. The absence of this choice bird of the — 
prairies among the feathered game of California has been felt, and 
efforts have been made by individual enterprise to introduce 
acclimate it. They have not been successful, and the possibility 
of this desirable result has remained in doubt. But it seems that 
_ the bird is solving the problem for us. Starting from the prairies 
