Jan., 1888.] elliott society. 189 



of the tMrd week in September, with the exception of two more marked ones. 

 He was not observing the instrnment on either of these two occasions, but was 

 able to inspect it verj^ shortly thereafter and before the recurrence of any ap- 

 preciable seismic disturbance. 



On the first occasion a small quantity of mercury was thrown into the South- 

 East beaker glass. On the second, a very considerable quantity was thrown to 

 the South-East, and a decidedly smaller amount to the North-West. 



Dr. Shepard was so much discouraged by the failure of the apparatus to 

 record the lesser shocks, as also by his inability to cause a suspended and loaded 

 pencil to afford intelligible tracings on paper, that he gave up further experi- 

 mentation and omitted to note the dates of the observations described. 



The Ohaibman mentioned that the mercurial apparatus used by Dr. Shep- 

 ard in his experiments was not novel, but that one similar to it has been 

 employed in Italy for the same object and is there known as a " Cacciatore ". 



Mr, Smyth said that on the 30th of December, 1887, his friend, Mr. Henrj'- 

 Hunter, informed him that he had shot a pair of ' ' Long-tailed Ducks ", or ' ' Old 

 Squaws " in Charleston Harbor. But when he went to Mr. Hunter's to see the 

 birds, he found that the cook had picked them ; from the heads, which were 

 shown him, he identified the birds, as, beyond a doubt, Glangula hyemalis, the 

 " Old Squaw " of Northern waters. This bird, though common at the North, 

 is of only occassional occurrence in Southern waters, and this is probably the 

 first record of its having been taken so far South. Mr. Hunter was fortunately 

 able to obtain another specimen on the 16th of January, a female, which is 

 now in Mr. Smyth's collection. Mr. Hunter told him that he had shot a spe- 

 cimen of this Duck some three years ago, near the City, in fact that he had 

 stood in his yard, which faces the water on South Battery, and killed the Duck, 

 which was feeding near by. 



De. Manigault stated that he had recently seen exposed for sale in the City 

 Market, several specimens of the Gadwal Duck, Chaulelasmus streperus, a 

 bird that seldom ranges as far South as the latitude of Charleston. 



The following paper was read : 



NOTES ON COLOSATION IN STERNA MAXIMA. 



BY ELLISON A. SMYTH, JR. 



It not infrequently happens in the realm of Ornithological research, as 

 well as in other branches of Science, that from a limited opportunity of obser- 

 vation and studj^ of objects in their natural conditions and suiTonndings, traits 

 and peculiarities which are individual exceptions, are, by the observer hastily 

 concluded to be universal and diagnostic ; while on the other hand, from the 

 absence in a few cases of certain characteristics and habits, which peculiarities 

 and habits a more thorough knowledge of the object in all its conditions, would 



