Part 28 (1/2)

Leiden Museum: [male] [female], from the Prince of Wied.

American Museum, New York: 7, three of which formerly belonged to George N. Lawrence.

Long Island Historical Society, Brooklyn: 1 [male] ad.

Va.s.sar College, Poughkeepsie, N. York: 1 [male] ad.

New York State Museum, Albany: [male] [female] ad.

Cory collection: [male] [female] ad.

University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont: 1 [male] ad.

Philadelphia: 2 [male] jun., 1 [female]

U.S. National Museum, Was.h.i.+ngton: 2 [male], 1 [female], 1 [male] jun.

Collection of Mr. William Brewster: 1 [male] jun., 1 [female]

Boston Society of Natural History: 1 [male] jun.

Collection of Dalhousie College, Halifax: [male] [female]

This makes a total of 48 known specimens. {107}

The last specimens killed were those shot in May, 1871, at Grand Manan Island, the date of which is absolutely certain, and the specimen bought from a Mr. J. G. Bell in 1879, for the Smithsonian Inst.i.tution, which is said to have been shot in 1875, but this date seems not quite certain (Cf.

Auk, 1894, p. 9). That several other specimens were shot later than 1852 is perfectly certain. As the specimen of 1875, or thereabouts, is a young male, Mr. Lawrence's question about the old birds is certainly justified.

As, however, no Labrador Duck has been recorded later than 1871 or 1875 we may suppose that it is now extinct.

My young male was bought in the Fulton Market, New York, about 1860, and probably came from Long Island. It was mounted by John Bell, a bird-stuffer, through whose hands several Labrador Ducks have gone, and is in the finest possible condition. I bought this bird from the late Gordon Plummer, shortly before his death. He died at his home in Brookline, Ma.s.s., in November, 1893. (Cf. Auk, 1891, p. 206.)

My adult male is the one of which the history is given in Auk, 1894, p.

176. It is described there in detail and then added: ”Shot in the bay of Laprairie this spring (1862) by a habitant, and purchased by Mr. Thompson of this city, who has kindly placed it at my disposal for examination.” Mr.

William Dutcher of New York City bought this specimen from the widow of the Mr. Thompson, mentioned in the above note as the original owner, and I purchased it from Mr. William Dutcher, who informs me that ”the Bay of Laprairie” is simply a name given to a wide part of the River St. Lawrence, just south of Montreal, Quebec. The name is found on good maps of Quebec.

{109}

”BIZIURA LAUTOURI” FORBES.

_Biziura lautouri_ Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 188 (1892--nomen nudum).

Dr. Forbes, unfortunately, gives no description whatever of this bird. It would be interesting to know something about it, and especially if its powers of flight were impaired, as it seems to have been the case in so many extinct birds.

{111}

ARDEA MEGACEPHALA MILNE-EDWARDS.

_Butors Leguat_, Relation du Voyage (1708).

_Ardea megacephala_ Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, 1874, p. 10.

Leguat's description, here translated, is as follows:--”We had Bitterns as big and as fat as capons. They are tamer and more easily caught than the 'gelinotes.'” He also says, ”The lizards often serve as prey for the birds, especially for the Bitterns. When we shook them down from the branches with a pole, these birds ran up and gobbled them down in front of us, in spite of all we could do to prevent them; and even if we only pretended to do so they came in the same manner and always followed us about.”

Milne-Edwards remarks, among other notes, that ”This bird is not a true Bittern, but its head is so large and its feet so short that it is easy to understand that Leguat should have called it so.”