30 Deane on Albinism and Melanism in Birds. 
Detroit is a specimen of the Coot ( Fulica americana) which is white, 
marked with dark blotches. It was shot at Detroit, Mich., in 
1873, and was mounted by Mr. Collins. Mr. Aiken informs me 
that he once saw a beautiful white specimen of this species in the 
Calumet Marshes in Indiana, but failed to procure it. 
I have in my possession a wing of the American Bittern with 
one secondary quill pure white. Mr. It. L. Newcomb of Salem, 
Mass., who shot the bird, states that the rest of its plumage was 
normal. 
In Mr. Boardman’s collection is a Lesser Scaup Duck in white 
plumage. Mr. John Akhurst informs me that he has seen an albino 
specimen of the Surf Duck. 
The only instance of albinism detected among the Laridce which 
has come to my notice is in a specimen of Heermann’s White- 
headed Gull, which Dr. Cooper informs me he shot in California. 
He writes : “ I never shot but one albinistic specimen in California, 
a Larus heermanni , with a white patch about three inches square 
across the secondary quills. It looked very pretty in the air.” Dr. 
Cooper also says that he has seen a pale and mottled specimen of 
the Fulvous Tree Duck. 
The only additional example of melanism which I can add to the 
previous list is represented by the Carolina Kail, for which I am 
indebted to Mr. Gilman W. Brown of West Newbury, Mass., who 
presented me with the specimen. It was one of about sixty of this 
species shot by Mr. Brown on the shores of the Merrimack River 
at West Newbury, September 1, 1877. At a short distance the 
bird looks almost black. The upper parts are black with a tinge of 
rufous, more especially on the scapulars, which are only tipped with 
this color. The throat, sides of the neck, and breast are dull brown, 
belly and under tail-coverts black. There is a white ring around 
each eye, and a small patch of white behind each eye on the 
occiput. 
As I remarked in my previous list, it is strange that albinism 
should occur so frequently in some families and be of such rare 
occurrence in others ; and it would be interesting to learn from any 
of the readers of the Bulletin of any instances which may have come 
to their notice of this abnormal plumage in such families as the 
Troglodytidce , Vireonidoe , or subfamily Icterinee . 
