12 
BULLETIN OF THE NUTTALL 
says he gave the list for what it was worth, expecting and desiring 
to have it amended and improved ; and elsewhere he has said, 
however lenient we may be even towards errors and incorrect 
statements that apparently might have been avoided, we should 
also, all of us, never hesitate to expose and to correct whatever we 
know to be wrong.” Unhappily such an attempt on my part has 
not been very graciously received. He also says “ it was but an 
initiative towards a complete and reliable list of the birds of New 
England,” and that it w^as “ at the last moment, and when it could 
only be done briefly,” that “ the character of the presence of the 
species ” w^as added, and that of course the additions were “ never 
exhaustive.” Now I will respectfully ask how the general reader 
was to know this. I received the list “ for what it was worth.” 
There was nothing in the introduction to show that it was not con- 
sidered complete or correct. 
Of course, after all that has been written upon the subject, I was 
aware that generally a species is not resident individually in a 
given section of territory. His remark respecting the Eobin, that 
the birds found with us in winter are not the same as those that 
pass the summer here, but “ are of a very different race,” is not at all 
to the point at issue. As a species, I say Tiirdus migratorins is a resi- 
dent of New England. If, however, as he holds, the birds found in 
winter are another and very different race, — as race is now under- 
stood. — he should have so indicated it in the Catalogue, perhaps 
as “ Turdus hyperhoreus. Arctic Kobin. Winter visitant.” I in- 
tended in reply to cite at length all the facts that bear upon the 
points in dispute, but found that to do so would require quite too 
much of the valuable space of the Bulletin ; but I trust that I have 
brought forward sufficient evidence to show^ that my statements 
were not altogether “ conjectures ” and “ unsupported assertions.” 
The following five species, among others. Dr. Brewer claimed 
had never been taken in New England, and therefore should be ex- 
cluded from the list of New England birds. In respect to this, I 
simply asked “ if previous record did not show that these at least 
could be retained,” intending thereby to imply that I considered 
this to be the case. The following are the birds and their 
record : — 
Quiscalus major. Boat-tailed Crackle. — “Q. haritus, Bonaparte. 
Thrush Blackbird. New Haven. Of the Thrush Blackbird one speci- 
men only has been observed, by Dr. Whelpley at New Haven, and of 
