Zoological Miscellany . 



95 



American Osprey. — Common spring and fall migrant. Invariably- 

 present for several weeks in the spring, when I have known it to re- 

 main as late as the middle of May. 



- Ectopistes migratoria (Linn.), Swainson. — Wild Pigeon. — I have 

 seen the female sitting on the nest within two miles of Brookville, Ind. 



Meleagris gallopavo Americana (Bartr.) Cones. — Wild Turkey. — 

 Specimen taken in Franklin County, Indiana, in December, 1878. — 

 E. R. Quick, Brookville, Franklin county, Indiana. 



Herodias alba egretta (Gm.), Ridgway. — American Egret. — I 

 have to report the capture, at Maysville, Ky., April 22, 1882, of a female 

 example of the Great White Egret, in full breeding plumage. The 

 specimen is handsomely decorated with the elegant plumes for which 

 the genus is noted. I do not know of any previously recorded instance 

 of the occurrence of the species, in this vicinity, in spring plumage. — 

 John W. Shorten, Cincinnati, Ohio, May 13, 1882.* 



Spiza Americana (Gm.) Bonap. — Black-throated Bunting. — An ano- 

 malous specimen of this species taken at Madisonville, July 4, 1877, 

 presents the following peculiarities of plumage : the black, shield-like 

 patch. characteristic of the jugulum of the male bird, is tolerably well 

 denned in a bright yellow ground ; while the sides are streaked like 

 those of the normal female. On dissection, the specimen proved to be 

 an adult female. — (Ed.) 



Buteo borealis (Gm.) Vieillot. — Red-tailed Hawk. — The stomach 

 of a specimen taken at Valle} T Junction, Ohio, March 24, 1877, con- 

 tained three Garter-snakes (Eutcenia sirtalis), one nearl}' whole, and 

 about eighteen inches long, the other two smaller and partially 

 digested ; also the head and fore-legs of a Mole Shrew (Blarina 

 brevicauda), — J. W. Shorten, Cincinnati, Ohio. 



Cupidonia cupido (Linn.) Baird. — Prairie Hen. — Two adult speci- 

 mens of this species were kept in confinement Jry the writer from 

 January to June, 1875. They seemed to bear their captivity well, but 

 lost little or none of their native wildness, and the onlv evidence 

 manifested of an inclination to breed was the loud cooing of the male 

 heard during the month of May, which sounded very much like the 

 highly-exaggerated voice of a Turtle Dove. The male finally injured 

 himself fatally by flying against the roof of the apartment in which 

 they were confined. — (Ed.) 



Rallus elegans, Audubon. — Great Bed-breasted Bail, — A specimen 

 taken at Madisonville, April 30th, 1876, had sticking in its oesophagus 

 a large water beetle (Hydrophilus triangularis), the sharp spine on 



* This specimen is now in the Museum of this Society. 



