Massachusetts. 1872 February full adults though perhaps a shade more asky on the crown. Saw also among the Soc. plain Pipilo erythrophthalmus, differ from ours by having the scapulars white; do not think it good. I also saw a pair of Camp. Parvillus taber in this. It was so near Brattle that I could not see any difference. Feb. 7. Received my first letter from C. J. Mcphee, dated Black Spring 4th. He writes that Prof. Baird now considers his Electrolyx Birdi as another or a new species. Larus acutatus has been abundant all winter and continues so, among the whippings on the harbor. "8. In the afternoon went down with H. W. Kershaw to see Alvin Western's collection, of which we examined about half before I dark. Found many of them extremely interesting as peculiarly colored forms of our ordinary Eastern species and many others good specimens and rare in collections. He had Actolornis Bairdi in rather different plumage from Alvis' Eastern specimen, a strange bird like Pseudacra or Bachman's I think, and strangely washed Sparrow possibly own (Poe. belli as leftwards determined) "9. A large lot of ducks in the market from Cape Cod, among them two Herkies affinis which I was not before aware printed here. Anas obscura is sent in all through the winter from the same locality. Among a large bunch of Electrophorus cirrhulus in the market found many of the males in nearly summer plumage with hardly a trace of crown angularion, and the heads only faint white. In the afternoon took a drive back into Belmont and over the