1 882.] Zoology, 141 



peaches, plums, pears, nectarines, loquats, olives — wheat and 

 barley — peas, cabbages, cauliflowers and garden seeds generally. 

 5. All means of defence have hitherto proved inadequate. 6. The 

 commissioners suggest in addition to the usual means of defence, 

 the tender of rewards for sparrows' eggs and heads ; the removal 

 of gun-licenses for the season, poisoned water in summer, sulphur 

 fumes under roosts at night, plaster of paris mixed with oatmeal 

 and water. " It is further declared that the united action of all 

 property holders, including the government, is essentia/ to effective 

 results." 



The state of the case in Australia being no worse than it is in 

 the United States, these sensible and energetic measures contrast 

 favorably with the neglect and indifference we have shown in so 

 practically important a matter, notwithstanding the unceasing 

 protests of all competent judges, chiefly through our long-suffer- 

 ing national good-nature, partly through sickly sentiment, and in 

 some slight degree through the ranting pseudo-zoophily of such 

 persons as Mr. Henry Bergh, for example. — Elliott Cones, Washing- 



OCCURRENCE OF THE OPOSSUM IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. Dr. 



W. H. Gregg of Elmira informs me that an opossum was last 

 spring taken about 6 miles from the city, being the first specimen 

 known to him to have occurred in that locality, which is certainly 

 beyond the usual range of the species as commonly understood. 

 —Elliott Cones, Washington, D. C. 



The Claw on the " Index " Finger of the Cathartid^. — 



December 7, 1881. 

 To the Editors of the American Naturalist. 



Gentlemen: — I read with much interest Dr. Shufeldt's article in 

 your journal for November hist, on the claw on the " index" 1 of the 

 L athartida, to the existence of which he had previously called my 

 attention when I had the pleasure of making his acquaintence in 

 Washington last month. Dr.Shufeldt certainly deserves greatcredit 

 for being the first to detect a structure, which has previously, so far 

 I am aware, escaped the notice of all observers. I may add that 

 since my return I have been able to confirm the truth of Dr. 

 Shufeldt's statements on specimens of Cathartes aura and C. 



' ■ 



my possession. 



Allow me, as one perhaps more favorably situated than Dr. 

 Shufeldt has been as regards the literature of ornithology, to call 

 my friend's attention to Nitzsch's " Osteographische Beitrage zur 

 Naturgeschichte der Vogel," published at Leipzig in 1881. In 

 that 2 he will find an excellent account of the claw and phalanx 

 •n question as it exists in many other birds. 



The digit of the Avian maims called " index " by Professor Owen is now univers- 



. the pollex. 



7 " Ueber das Nagelglied der Fliigelfmger, besonders der Daumen." pp. S9-97. 



