A SPECIMEN OF HESPEROPHONA VESPERTINA, Bonap. 
W. G. Tight. 
On the loth of December a specimen of this rare bird was 
killed in front of Academy Hall, by Mr George Osbun . The bird 
was a male and was apparently alone and was feeding on maple seeds, 
which were very abundant under the trees in front of the building. 
While it was busily engaged at its noon meal it kept up a constant 
chirp like that of the Cardinalis virginianus and only sounded its 
charactesistic yeeip'' when it was di.sturbed and was in the trees. 
As the bird is such a rarity for Ohio, having been identified but 
once before, as far as I can learn, (Ohio Geological Report, Vol. IV, 
p 313,) in the State and that in March, i860, I have concluded to 
give a detailed description of the superficial characters of the speci- 
men in hand. 
It does not differ much from the descriptions of Baird, Jordan, 
Cones, Wheaton, and Herrick, (Bulletin, Vol I.), which I have before 
me, except in the amount and distribution of white on the wings, the 
length of the three outer primaries being equal and a few other minor 
points which will be observed by comparison. For the complete oste- 
ology of the species, reference is made to the article of Prof. C. L. 
Herrick, University of Cincinnati, in Vol. I. of the Bulletin of Denison 
University. 
Hesperophona vespertina. Bonap. Bird, Male. Feet short ; tarsus less than 
middle toe; tel. .93; tra. .56; lateral toes equal; 3t. and qt. 7 ; claws com- 
pressed 12; bill very large, greenish-yellow (not dusky at base), .75 long and 75 
deep ; gape .Si ; tip of upper mandible extending beyond and over the lower ; 
body length 8.10; wing 4.25; tail 2.50; depth of tail notch .25; primaries 
much longer than secondaries, the outer three equal and extending to beyond 
the middle of the tail ; secondaries 6 in number and equal ; tertiaries 3 in num- 
ber and unequal ; wing coverts covering half the extent of the wings ; tail cov- 
