ISS 3 .J 
General Notes. 
183 
effort as if to rid himself of the troublesome “whooo,” and when 
finished would stand motionless, perhaps marvelling at the sweetness 
of his own voice, or more likely awaiting a response. Thinking that 
this extraordinary exhibition might be for the benefit of his mate, I 
started up, after listening to several more “encores,” and proceeded to 
investigate the hill-side. I found no bird but the one there, and my 
approach sent him scurrying across the valley. 
These peculiar notes of the Road-runner sound, as near as I can word 
it, much like the prolonged syllable ■whooo — aspirating strongly the 
■wh and giving the vowel as a soft gutteral. This note, — not so pro- 
longed as the “coo” of the Dove, — is repeated some five or six times in 
distinctly separate utterances, and is given with an effort which I can only 
liken to that exerted by our dung-hill champion when he calls to early 
matins. Now that I know these facts, I can remember numerous occa- 
sions when I heard the same sound, and wondered at not being able to 
see a Dove, which I naturally assumed to be the author of it. While I 
feel confident that even a careful ear might not detebt the difference in 
the two sounds — not knowing the facts — yet once known there is little 
danger of mistaking them if heard near by. The softer Dove’s “coo” is 
also not generally repeated as many times. 
It may be that this observation brings nothing new to those well posted, 
but as it is new to me, and as I learn from residents here that it is a new 
fact to them, I will make it known, trusting that it may be news to many 
others. This I would not do whilst so much in the dark as to previous 
history, but that I am unable to “search the records” in this remote 
locality, and can only go by my own recollections. 
One thing more, lest I mislead, and that is to say that besides this 
peculiar succession of notes, the Road-runner has a harsh, disagreeable 
“squawk,” which, while not uttered often, is by no means a rare accom- 
plishment or one not apt to be noticed by those who are familiar with the 
bird in its haunts. — G. Holterhoff, Jr., National City , Cal. 
A partial Albino Short-eared Owl .{Asio accifiitrinus') . — I have 
a female of this species taken here April 29, 1883, * n which the entire 
plumage is suffused with white, the ruff, upper part of neck, the median 
and lesser coverts, ends of primaries, secondaries, and tail being strongly 
so.= — Jno. H. Sage, Portland , Conn. 
Great Gray Owl in Rhode Island. — A very fine specimen of this 
species ( Syrnium cinereum)- was killed at Wickford, R. I., March 25, 1883. 
Mr. Gray, in our employ, heard of it and succeeded in purchasing it. 
We had a Horned Owl to mount the same day, and also a Barred Owl. 
The body of the Great Gray Owl was less than half the size of the 
Horned Owl’s, and but little larger than that of the Barred Owl, though 
the bird itself exceeds the £-reat Horned in size. The eye is very small, 
and the breast feathers extremely long. Taken all in all, it is the most 
bird for the least substance we ever examined. — Fred. T. Jencks, Provi- 
dence , R. I. 
