SUPPLEMENTARY LIST OF BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF SANTA LUCIA, W. I.-A few months since I gave in this Bulletin (Vol. V, pp. 163-169) a list of the birds of Santa Lucia, numbering 56 species. Recently the Museum of Comparative Zoology has received another considerable lot, collected, as were the previous sendings, by Mr. John Semper. This last collection adds 12 species to the number previously recorded from the island, besides embracing quite large suites of the rarer species, including, among others, 10 examples of Chrysotis bouqueti and 8 of Mr. Lawrence's recently described Chatura dominicana. The additions to the previously published list are the following: The collection also embraces Tringa fuscicollis, one of the two species previously given on Dr. Sclater's authority. — J. A. ALLEN, Cambridge, Mass. WINTER BIRDS OF FORT WALLA WALLA, W. T. Recent letters from Captain Charles Bendire, U. S. A., now at Fort Walla Walla, contain notes of interest on various species of birds observed during the past winter at that post, which I have his permission to make public. While Fort Walla Walla corresponds in latitude (about 46° N.) with Northern Maine, its winter bird fauna seems to be comparable with that of Southern New Jersey. Captain Bendire enumerates as among the regular winter residents such species as the Meadow Lark (Sturnella magna neglecta), the Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes auratus mexicanus), Brewer's Blackbird (Scolecophagus cyanocephalus), the Western Redwing (Agelæus phoeniceus gubernator), the Western White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys intermedia), the Oregon Snowbird (Junco oregonus), the Cinereous Song Sparrow (Melospiza fusciata guttata), etc., besides other species less distinctively southern in character. Captain Bendire also refers to the capture of a Snowy Owl (Nyctea nivea) about December 1 (1880), which, he says, is the only "instance of its capture on this coast south of Alaska" known to him. He has also taken several examples of Scops asio kennicotti, and finds “Esalon suckleyi and richardsoni" of not uncommon occurrence. In alluding to the predominance of the females, he says that out of ten specimens of these two forms taken only one proved on dissection to be a male. He also notes a similar prevalence of females among the Sharp-tailed Grouse. — J. A. ALLEN, Cambridge, Mass. ad. Tail soft, composed of ten feathers. General plumage above olive-green. Forehead showing a tinge of black; top of the head bright yellow, cut by a band of red, again becoming yellow at the base. Under parts yellowish, palest on the throat, mottled and streaked with brown feathers; on the sides of the neck marked with dull white, nearly joining above, forming an imperfect collar. Wing-coverts and outer webs of primaries and secondaries, olive-green; inner webs brown, becoming pale on the edges. Bill, legs, and feet dark slate color. Iris reddish brown. ad. Differs from the male in wanting the red band on the head. Length, 5.25; wing, 2.75; tail, 1.75; tarsus, .56; bill, .62. Dr. Bryant refers to a Picumnus taken in Haiti (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. Vol. XI, p. 96) but considers it to be P. micromegus of Sundevall (Consp. Avium Picin., 1866, p. 95); but that species came from Brazil and I cannot make his description agree with the Haitian bird. In all probability Dr. Bryant's specimen was the present species wrongly identified. I have named it in honor of Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence of New York. Phoenicophilus dominicensis. ad. Forehead and sides of the head black; a spot of white above and below the eye and on each side of the forehead; chin white, extending in two stripes down the sides of the throat to the breast, bordering the black of the head. The rest of the head, neck, and underparts grayishplumbeous. Back, wing-coverts, tail and coverts, and outer edges of wing feathers, bright yellowish-green. Inner webs of primaries and secondaries brown, pale on the edges. Legs and lower mandible dark slate color; upper mandible black. Iris reddish-brown. Length, 7.00; wing, 3.50; tail, 3.00; tarsus, .90; bill, .72. Authors have generally considered this bird to be the female of P. palmarum; but a careful examination of a large series of the latter species proved the sexual difference, if any, to be merely a slight variation in size. Parra violacea. ad. Bill and comb pale orange; bare skin at the base of the lower mandible pale bluish-white. Head, neck, and upper breast, dark lustrous green, back and wing-coverts purple, shading into rich golden-brown near the rump; rump and tail coverts bright purple. Underparts dark purple, showing a tinge of dark rufous on the crissum. Most of the primaries and secondaries bright yellow, edged with brown; tail rufous brown; carpal spur pale orange; legs and feet dull olive; iris brown. Length, 9.00; wing, 5.50; tail, 2.25; tarsus, 2.25; bill, 1.40. A single specimen taken, possibly a straggler to the island but apparently differing from any known form. Myiadestes montanus. ad. Upper parts and two central tail feathers slaty gray; primaries and secondaries brownish-black, showing white near the base of the inner webs; outer webs of primaries and terminal portion of the outer webs of secondaries edged with gray; throat, crissum, and belly near the vent, reddish-brown, intermediate between that of M. solitarius and M. sibilans, but approaching nearer the color of the former; rest of underparts pale gray. Outer tail feather white with black shaft, showing a dark tinge near the extremity of the outer web; second feather black, with the central portion of the terminal half white, the black narrowing to the extremity leaving the tip white; third feather showing a triangular patch of white at the tip; rest of tail feathers, except the two central ones, black. Bill black; legs and feet pale; iris brown. Length, 7.00; wing, 3.35; tail, 3.38; tarsus, 1.00; bill, .38. HABITS OF THE BLACK BRANT IN THE VICINITY OF ST. MICHAELS, ALASKA. BY E. W. NELSON. The long reign of ice and snow begins to yield to the mild influence of the rapidly lengthening days; the middle of May is reached, and the midnight sky over the northern horizon blushes with delicate rose tints, changing to purple toward the zenith. Fleecy clouds passing slowly across the horizon seem to quiver and glow with lovely hues only to fade to dull leaden again as they glide from the reach of fair Aurora. The land, so lately snow-bound, becomes dotted with pools of water and the constantly narrowing borders of the snow soon make room for the Waterfowl which, with eager accord, begin to arrive in abundance, some upon lagging wings, as if from far away, others making the air resound with joyous notes as they recognize some familiar pond where, for successive seasons, they have reared their young in safety, or, perhaps, a favorite feeding ground. At this time the White-fronted and Hutchins's Geese take precedence in numbers though, to be sure, they have been preceded for two weeks by the hardy Pintail Duck, the Common Swan and, lastly, that ornithological harlequin, the Sandhill Crane, whose loud rolling note is heard here and there as it stalks gravely along, dining upon the last year's berries of Empetrum nigrum, when, meeting a rival, or perchance one of the fair sex, he proceeds to execute a burlesque minuet. A few days later, upon the mirror-like bosoms of myriads of tiny lakelets, the graceful Northern Phalaropes flit here and there or swim about in pretty companies. At length, about the 20th of May, the first Barn Swallow arrives and then we begin to look for the Black Brant, the "Nimkée," as it is called by the Russians, the "Lük-lug-ü-nük" of the Norton Sound Eskimo. Ere long the avant-courier is seen in the form of a small flock of ten or fifteen individuals which skim along close to the ice heading directly across Norton Sound to the vicinity of Cape Norne, whence their route leads along the low coast to Port Clarence where, I am told by the natives, some stop to breed; but the majority press on and seek the ice bordered northern shore of Alaska and even beyond to unknown regions far to the north. Of this I am assured by Captain E. E. Smith, who tells me that while whaling in the autumn, to the eastward of Wrangel Land, in 70° N. latitude, he has seen flocks of these Geese coming from the north and steering straight for the coast of Alaska several hundred miles to the southward. The presence of this and other species of birds in that part of the Arctic Ocean argues favorably for the presence of a body of land to the northward of Alaska, but whether it is an eastern continuation of Wrangel Land or not is, of course, uncertain. However, let us return to a safer field. The following notes were mainly taken during the spring of 1880, for although I had seen the Brant plentiful the two preceding years, their extraordinary abundance the past spring was surprising, not only to the few white men here but to the natives as well. The 22d of May a native came in bringing a lot of Geese and reporting plenty of Black Brant up the "Canal." For the benefit of the unfortunate few who have not been at St. Michaels I may explain that the "Canal" is a narrow and shallow tidal channel which separates St. Michael's Island from the main land and is bordered on either side by a stretch of low, flat land abundantly dotted with brackish ponds and intersected by numerous small tide creeks. As would be surmised, this forms a favorite haunt for various kinds of waterfowl. Preparing the tent and other paraphernalia two of us, accompa nied by a couple of natives, started out the next morning with a sled and team of five large dogs, driven tandem, just as the sun gilded the distant hill-tops and gave a still deeper tint to the purple haze enveloping their bases. The sharp, frosty air and the pleasurable excitement of the prospective hunt, after months of inactivity, causes an unusual elation of spirits and with merry jests we speed along until, in a short time, we approach a low, mound-like knoll rising in the midst of innumerable lakelets. A strange humming, for which we were at first unable to account, now becomes more distinct and we perceive its origin in the united notes of scores of flocks of Brant which are dispersed here and there over the half bare ground. Some sit along the edges of the snow banks or upon the ground, still sleeping, while others walk carelessly about or plume themselves in preparation for the work before them. Their low, harsh, gutteral gr-r-r-r, |