Brief Notes. 
July 4, while roaming over the country, I 
came across an old building which had been 
used as a carpenter shop. Of course I had 
to investigate. Up stairs on a projecting 
board next to the ceiling, I found a Pewee’s 
nest with five eggs, 
{pCiAA' * fSAFrXftYvL % 
O. Yol. 18, July, 1893 p. 107 
That “prolific sparrow” of one of your 
correspondents reminded me of a Phoebe 
that I thought was quite prolific ; still do 
not know as it was unusual. May 14 th, 
1881 , I took a set of five. May 21 st, (just 
one week) seeing the bird on the nest, I 
visited it and secured a second set of five. 
May 28 th, (just one week later) still seeing 
the birds around and on the nest again, 
visited it and found a set of four. I had 
not the heart to again rob her. 
_J f. Day Murphey, 
Jr., Cortland, N. Y. O.&O. VU1. Feb. 1863. p./J 
Anudocta Ornithologies 
Leonard Stejnegwr 
XXIII. Remarks on the Generic Name Sayornis and 
on Sayornis phoebe. 
Sayornis , as composed of the name Say and ornis, may be 
either masculine or feminine, for we find both o' opvis and rj opvis. 
It might perhaps be urged that the addition of Thomas Say’s 
name makes the gender masculine, but holding that the author 
who first indicated the gender is entitled to settle the question, I 
contend that Sayornis is feminine. Bonaparte, when establish- 
ing the name (Coll. Delattre, 1854, P- 87 ; I can find no other or 
earlier reference) gave no clue, as he combined it with the spe- 
cific name nigricans , but Sclater who next adopted the term, in 
1855, indicated his preference by writing Sayornis ardosiaca 
(P. Z. S., 1855, p. 149)? and has consistently followed this course 
in all his later writings. 
As to the specific names of the North American species, I have 
to remark that Gmelin’s name Muscicapa pfusca cannot stand for 
the Pewee, as not less than two other authors, independent of 
each other, had disposed of that name for two other birds previ- 
ous to 1788. Nor can the same author’s Muscicapa atra be em- 
ployed, for a similar reason, as is apparent from the subjoined 
synonymy. The next name in order seems to be Latham’s 
M. phoebe , which will give us the name Sayornis phoebe , a very 
fortunate change, when change must be made ! 
The synonomy will stand thus: 
R- 3*5- Sayornis pheebe (Lathi). Phcebe ; Pewee. 
Muscicapa carolinensis fusca, Brisson, Orn. II, p. 367 (1760). 
Dusky Flycatcher. Pennant, Arct. Zool. II, p. 389 (1785). 
1788. — Muscicapa fusca Gmelin, S. N. I, p. 931 (based on Briss. l.c. ; 
nec Muller, 1776, qiue PI. Enl. 5.68 fig. 2; nec Boddaert, 
1783, quae PL Enl. 574 fig. 1). 
1788. — Muscicapa atra Gmelin, S. N. I, p. 946 (based on Pennant, 
1. c. ; nec Muller, 1776, quae PI. Enl. 572 fig. 3). 
1790. — Muscicapa phoebe Latham, Ind. Orn. II, p. 489 (based on Pen- 
nant, 1. c.). 
1810. — Muscicapa nunciola Wilson, Am. Orn. II (p. 78, pi. xiii, fig. 4.). 
Auk, 2, Jan., 1886. p. s$~/ 
