1078 General Notes. [ October, 
fornia (Placer county), and in the southern part of the State (Los 
Angeles county), and have seen many (just caught) specimens in 
the hands of others. The general tone or shade of color in each 
instance seemed to harmonize closely with the general tone of 
color of the earth or ground of the immediate locality or habitat. 
For this reason, when the little creatures are perfectly motionless, 
they are not easily detected. If the ground be of a yellowish, or 
ochraceous tone, the color of the lizard is so nearly the same as 
to excite attention to the fact; if of darker hue, or ashen gray, so 
with these lizards. I have frequently noticed this relation of color 
in these animals to environment, and have yet to find an excep- 
tion to it; further than this, I am led to believe that a sufficient 
number of living specimens, will show a similar protective factor, 
in degree of development of the scale imbrications, tubercles so- 
called and horns—or, in brief, in the sculpture aspect as related to 
the surface texture of the ground which forms the local habitat 
of these forms.—R. E. C. Stearns. 
THE GARDENER BIRD (AMBLYORNIS INORNATA).—This bird ap- 
pears, from the studies of M. Beccari, to excel the Australian 
bower-birds, to which it has affinities, in the erection of a plea 
sure bower. A small shrub in an open spot in the forest forms 
the center of the edifice. Moss is piled around this and then a 
number of branches plucked from an epiphyte are planted in the 
soil in an inclined position, so that they form the walls of a cont 
cal hut entered by a small opening, These branches continu 
for some time to vegetate. Before the entrance the bird maxes & 
lawn of tufts of moss carefully separated from all pebbles, bit us 
wood or other plants. On this green carpet he strews the vio 
fruits of Garcinia and the flowers of a Vaccinium that grows rare 
renewing them when they wither. The bird is a native O "© 
rfak mountains in New Guinea, and the first report of its exis 
tence was brought M. Bruijn by Malaysians. ; 
bits of 
TENGMALM’s OwL.—This little owl of the North, but slightly | 
larger than the common Acadian owl, is not a very common Spe 
cies within the limits of the United States, although it may bee 
regular winter visitant, and it is not improbable that it 
found breeding in the northernmost part of New Englan 
indebte dto Mr. Montague Chamberlain, of St. John, 
notes concerning the occurrence of Tengmalm’s ow 
New Brunswick in summer. “ One shot by Mr. Jam 
will be 
a 
N: B, for 
December 31, 1881.” Audubon recorded the oc ee : 
this species at Bangor, Me., “in the beginning of Septen M. 
For a note of its capture in spring I am indebted to 
Tufts, who obtained a male specimen taken at Dexter, 
April, 1877; also a female specimen taken near Lynn, Ma 
eet a Soe 
Me. in ; 
