The Naturalists’ CoMiuiNioN. 
I2I 
LUDOViciANUS excuitorider), winter 
here. 
The Cardinal Grosbeak (cardinalis 
viRGiNiANUs), is quite common. 'I'hey 
gather in flocks and inhabit the woods. 
The shrill note of the Tufted Titmouse 
(lophophanes bicolor), attracts atten¬ 
tion as it explores the tops of trees. 
Another somewhat resembling it is 
the Black-capped Chickadee (parusat- 
ricapillus), which inhabits the woods, 
especially the cedars. 
Besides these there are numerous 
Hawks and Owls. 
Canadian Geese are also here and 
occasionally Ducks, and some times on 
mild winters Robins and Blackbirds 
are seen. Wm. S. Smith, 
Richmond, Kan. 
UJYKJV'O WJ\r BIRDS. 
Dear Editor:— 
While on my way to work five miles 
north of this place on the 6 th day of 
January, 1886 , I saw a flock of birds 
entirely foreign to this country, and 
would like ior you or some of the read¬ 
ers of the “N. C.” to tell me what they 
are. I am a man forty-one years old, 
and have always been a great admirer of 
our feathered friends from my earliest 
rememberance, and yet I never met them 
before. I will give you as good a de¬ 
scription of them as I can : Size, a little 
larger than the Red-breasted Grosbeakj 
beak, yellow, and fully as large as that 
of the Grosbeak, Male, head and 
back of neck black ; breast, dee]) chest¬ 
nut-brown ; yellowish-white stripes run¬ 
ning from beak over eyes to back of 
head ;tail and tail coverts chestnut-brown; 
wings, primaries deep black, secondaries 
yellowish-white white) ; belly 
and under side of tail dee]) golden yel¬ 
low. Female, brown, or about the col¬ 
or of female Yellowbirds, where male is 
chestnut brown; wings, secondaries 
lighter than in .the male ; yellow under¬ 
neath like male. 
When I first saw them they were in a 
bunch of willows picking objects from 
the bark, and were so tame that I ap- 
])roached near enough to see their eyes, 
and consequently had a good opportun¬ 
ity to study them. When they flew again 
it was but for a short distance and then 
alighted on some weeds by the roadside 
and ate the seeds from off them. I re¬ 
gret very much that I did not have my 
gun, as I would have greatly prized one 
of them in my collection of stuffed birds. 
By the way, I shot and stuffed on the 
i 6 th of last October a Robin with snow- 
white wings. I have often heard of 
white or albino Robins and have seen 
them myself, but this is the first red one 
with clear white wings that I have ever 
seen. Hoping that you or some of your 
readers can give me some light as to 
what kind of birds they are, and that 
this will not find its way to the waste 
basket, I am Fraternally yours, 
R. D. Goss, 
New Sharon, Iowa. 
Will some of our readers kindly look 
these birds up and report the results of 
their labors to us for publication in our 
next isvsue. It is quite evident that Mr. 
Goss has discovered a new species. 
We have no recollection of ever seeing 
or reading of a bird that would answer 
his description ; we shall, however, in¬ 
vestigate the matter more thoroughly, 
and hope our readers will do the same. 
—Ed. 
See our great bargains in specimens. 
It is proposed that a portion of the 
reclaimed Potomac flats be devoted to 
a zoological garden. 
