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LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
BAVIS 


JJNIFORM  "WITH  THIS  VOLUME. 

NEW  ENGLAND  BIRD  LIFE: 


A  MANUAL  OP  NEW  ENGLAND 
ORNITHOLOGY. 

Revised  and  edited  from  the  manuscript  of  Winfrid  A.  Stearns, 

Member  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  etc. 

By  Dr.  ELLIOTT  COUES,   U.S.A., 

Member  of  the  Academy,  etc. 


Part  I.      Oscines  (Singing  Birds}.     Illustrated,  $2.50. 

See  Recommendations  at  end  of  this  volume. 
LEE   AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS,  BOSTON. 


NEW  ENGLAND  BIRD  LIFE 


BEING  A 


MANUAL 


OF 

NEW  ENGLAND  ORNITHOLOGY 

REVISED   AND   EDITED  FROM   THE   MANUSCRIPT   OF 

WINFRID  A.  STEARNS 

MEMBER  OF  THE  NUTTALL  ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB  ETC* 

BY 

ELLIOTT   COUES 

MEMBER    OF    THE    ACADEMY    ETC. 

PART  II. 

NON-OSCINE  PASSERES,  BIRDS  OF  PREY, 
GAME  AND  WATER  BIRDS. 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD   PUBLISHERS 

NEW   YORK    CHARLES   T.   DILLINGHAM 
1883 


LIBRA** 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


PUBLISHERS'    NOTE. 

As  circumstances  within  the  control  of  the  editor  have  enabled 
him  to  complete  the  revision  of  the  work,  that  portion  embracing 
the  Non-oscine  Passeres  and  other  remaining  Land  Birds,  together 
with  all  the  Water  Birds,  is  now  issued  as  Part  II.,  concluding  the 
treatise. 


COPYRIGHT,  1883. 
BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 


BOSTON  STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY, 
No.  4  PEARL  STREET. 

Presswork  by  John  Wilson  &  Son,  Cambridge. 


CONTENTS. 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE 

BIRDS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND 
Family  Tyrannidcz : 

Caprimulgidce .» 
Cypselida  : 
TrochiHda  : 
AlcedinidcE  : 
Cuculida : 
Picidce  : 
Strigida : 
Falconida : 
Cathartidce  : 
Columbidcz  : 
Meleagrididtz  : 
Tetraonida : 
Charadriidce : 
Hczmatopodidce  : 
Recurvirostrida : 
Phalaropodidcs  : 
Scolopacida : 


PACK 

5 

ii 

Flycatchers  .  .  .  .11 
Whippoorwills  and  Night-hawks,  50 
Swifts  .....  56 
Humming-birds  59 

Kingfishers         ....       62 

Cuckoos 65 

Woodpeckers     ....      69 

Owls 86 

Hawks 101 

American  Vultures    .         .         -135 

Pigeons 139 

Turkeys  .  .  .  .  .  145 
Grouse,  Partridge  .  .  .145 

Plovers 163 

Oyster-catchers .  .  .  .177 
Avocets,  Stilts  .  .  .  .180 
Phalaropes  ....  184 

Snipe,  &c 191 

3 


CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Family  IbididcE :                    Ibises 254 

Ardeida:                  Herons 259 

Gruida:                     Cranes 276 

Rallida :                    Rails  and  their  Allies         .         .  279 

Anatida :                  Swans,  Geese,  and  Ducks         .  296 

Sulida:                    Gannets 334 

Pelecanidce:              Pelicans 337 

Phalacrocoracida :  Cormorants        .         .        .         -339 

Tacky petidce :           Frigates 341 

Laridce  :                    Jaegers,  Gulls,  Terns,  Skimmers,  343 

Procellariida> :          Petrels 33o 

ColymbidcE :               Loons 388 

Podicipedidcz :          Grebes 391 

Alcidce:                    Auks 394 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


APOLOGY  is  due  that  portion  of  the  public  which  may 
be  interested  in  "New  England  Bird  Life"  for  the  de- 
lay which  has  occurred  in  the  preparation  and  publica- 
tion of  the  concluding  volume  of  this  treatise. 

In  November,  1880,  when,  the  revision  of  Mr.  Steams' 
manuscript  having  been  made  through  O seines,  the  first 
volume  had  gone  to  press,  the  editor  was  directed  by 
the  War  Department  to  repair  to  Arizona  and  take  up 
the  routine  duties  of  a  medical  officer  of  the  army ;  and 
it  was  several  months  before  he  could  free  himself  from 
this  annoyance  by  resigning  his  commission.  It  being 
clearly  impracticable  to  do  any  literary  or  scientific  work 
under  such  circumstances,  preparation  of  the  manuscript 
for  the  press  was  necessarily  suspended  at  the  point  it 
had  then  reached.  Proofs  of  the  portion  already  in  the 
printer's  hands  having  been  read  by  the  editor  in  Ari- 
zona, Part  L,  embracing  0 }  seines  >  was  published  upon  his 
return  to  Washington  in  September,  1881. 

5 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 


To  the  same  outrage  is  mainly  to  be  ascribed  that  im- 
perfection of  the  present  volume,  of  which  no  one  can 
be  more  fully  aware  than  the  editor.  Resuming  his  avo- 
cations with  nearly  a  year's  arrested  work  of  various 
kinds  upon  his  hands,  it  was  found  impossible  to  give 
the  present  treatise  all  the  attention  he  would  other- 
wise have  been  able  to  bestow  upon  it.  He  was  also 
cramped  for  room  to  adequately  treat  the  many  remain- 
ing Birds  of  New  England  in  one  volume  which  should 
approximately  equal  the  first  in  enforced  number  of 
pages.  He  may  therefore  with  propriety  deprecate  criti- 
cism of  Part  II.,  in  so  far  as  his  responsibility  for  it  is 
concerned  ;  and  refer,  in  evidence  of  the  embarrassment 
to  which  he  alludes,  to  some  of  the  matters  which  divided 
his  attention  during  the  period  of  which  he  speaks. 

The  "Coues  Check  List,"  etc.,  which  was  sent  to 
press  in  September,  1880,  revision  for  its  second  edi- 
tion having  been  completed  in  July  of  the  same  year, 
was  practically  suspended  until  his  return,  and  further 
delayed  in  publication  until  June,  1882.  The  second 
edition  of  the  "  Key,"  etc.,  long  contemplated  both  by 
publisher  and  author,  could  not  be  put  to  press  until 
some  months  after  his  return,  entire  rewriting  of  the 
work,  with  addition  of  much  new  matter,  being  required 
to  bring  it  up  to  date.  Each  of  these  works  being  in 
press  while  the  present  treatise  was  in  the  same  state, 
all  of  them  far  behindhand,  the  three  together  made 
unusually  urgent  demands  upon  time  and  patience ;  and 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE.  7 

in  the  case  of  the  "Key"  the  unavoidable  delay  has  not 
yet  been  overcome.  The  "  Bibliography  of  Ornithology," 
the  third  instalment  of  which  protracted  labor  hap- 
pily appeared  in  November,  1880,  and  the  "Birds  of  the 
Colorado  Valley,"  Part  II.,  having  both  been  suspended 
during  publication  by  the  same  ill-timed  interruption, 
need  not  be  considered  in  the  present  connection.  But 
a  more  serious  difficulty,  because  one  involving  an  offi- 
cial obligation,  occurred  in  the  case  of  the  "History  of 
North  American  Quadrupeds,"  ordered  by  Congress  in 
1880  to  be  prepared  and  published  as  Vol.  XIV.  of  the 
Reports  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  and  Geographical  Sur- 
vey of  the  Territories,  the  elaboration  of  the  text  and 
the  superintendence  of  the  drawing  and  engraving  of 
the  necessary  illustrations  having  continuously  required 
his  attention,  before,  during  and  after  the  long  indignity 
to  which  he  was  subjected. 

The  editor  takes  great  pleasure  in  recognizing  the 
timely  and  valued  assistance  rendered  in  the  preparation 
of  this  work  by  his  friend,  Mr.  H.  A.  Purdie,  of  Boston. 
As  in  the  case  of  Part  L,  Mr.  Purdie  has  very  kindly 
gone  over  the  scattered  published  records  of  the  species 
to  be  treated,  furnishing  extended  memoranda,  which 
have  proved  an  invaluable  saving  of  time  and  labor ; 
for  which,  as  well  as  for  important  suggestions  and 
criticisms  made  by  the  same  well-known  ornithologist 
in  reading  the  proof-sheets,  both  author  and  editor  are 
greatly  indebted. 


8  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

In  no  other  part  of  the  United  States  have  the  Birds 
of  our  country  been  so  closely  and  successfully  studied  as 
in  New  England,  where  a  host  of  zealous  and  watchful 
field-naturalists,  stimulated  and  to  a  great  extent  led 
by  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  have  brought  our 
knowledge  of  bird-life  in  all  its  details  near  that  degree 
of  perfection  which  is  witnessed  in  the  writings  of 
British  authors  upon  the  Birds  of  their  own  islands. 
The  material  for  an  exhaustive  treatise  upon  New 
England  Ornithology  —  if  it  be  desired  to  have  a  com- 
plete special  History  of  New  England  Birds  apart  from 
those  of  North  America  at  large  —  is  ample  and  invit- 
ing. Much  of  it,  hitherto  widely  scattered  and  in  the 
raw,  has  been  brought  together  and  to  a  degree  system- 
atized in  the^present  treatise,  numberless  sources  of 
information  having  been  utilized  as  well  as  the  untoward 
circumstances  permitted ;  but,  so  far  from  having  ex- 
hausted the  readily  accessible  data  upon  the  subject  is 
the  editor,  that  he  can  only  look  upon  the  result  of  his 
labors  as  a  convenient  means  to  an  end  not  yet  accom- 
plished. Such  remains  the  case,  more  particularly,  with 
the  Water  Birds  ;  in  respect  of  which  the  very  richness 
of  the  material  of  which  he  has  been  unable  to  fully 
avail  himself  has  been  rather  an  embarrassment  than 
otherwise.  While  inaccuracies  of  statement  may  pos- 
sibly prove  to  be  few  and  not  serious,  very  much  has 
been  left  unsaid  through  sheer  stress  of  time  and  space. 
A  volume  larger  than  either  part  of  this  treatise  might 


EDITOR  S    PREFACE.  9 

easily  and  most  acceptably  be  devoted  to  the  Water 
Birds  alone  of  New  England.  Much  is  to  be  expected 
from  the  concluding  volumes  of  Baird,  Brewer,  and 
Ridgway's  "  History  of  North  American  Birds  ; "  but 
these  are  still  unpublished  ;  and  meanwhile,  with  the 
exception  of  what  may  be  found  upon  the  Waders 
and  Swimmers  in  the  "Birds  of  the  Northwest,"  now 
already  nine  years  old,  no  systematic  work  upon  that 
extensive  and  attractive  series  of  Birds  has  appeared 
since  the  Audubonian  period.  The  growing  suspicion 
of  fatality,  so  to  speak,  which  attaches  to  this  matter, 
might  lead  an  author  contemplating  the  next  systematic 
treatise  upon  Birds  to  consider  the  expediency  of  be- 
ginning at  the  other  end  of  the  current  list,  and  working 
up  from  Alcidce  towards  the  Turdidce. 

In  the  present  volume  some  of  the  Water-Bird  biog- 
raphies have  been  pretty  fairly  elaborated,  and  special 
pains  have  been  taken  to  collate  and  sift  the  New  Eng- 
land records  of  the  rarer  species,  whether  of  the  land  or 
of  the  water, — those  casual  visitors  which,  while  leaving 
no  decided  impress  upon  our  Avifauna,  are  nevertheless 
a  kind  of  beings  which  the  ardent  collector  least  delights 
to  entertain  unawares.  In  the  cases  of  these  visits,  few 
and  far  between,  the  editor  regrets  still  to  find  himself 
so  frequently  at  variance  with  statements  of  fact  and 
expressions  of  opinion  of  late  authority  upon  the  sub- 
ject. Yet,  in  the  end,  the  fairest  reciprocity  of  author- 
ship —  whether  regarding  one  whose  hand  has  left  the 


10 

pen,  or  one  whose  hand  still  knows  the  weapon  mightier 
than  the  sword  —  proves  to  be  that  sense  of  justice 
which  tries  the  amenities  of  the  golden  rule  by  the  best 
touchstone  —  nil  nisi  verum. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  former  volume,  the  author  of  "  New  England 
Bird  Life"  has  in  the  present  instance  had  full  per- 
mission to  make  such  use  as  he  might  see  fit  of  any  of 
the  editor's  previous  publications ;  and  it  has  not  been 
necessary,  under  the  circumstances,  to  always  preserve 
the  appearance  of  quotation.  With  some  exceptions, 
the  illustrations  are  derived  from  the  same  sources. 
The  classification  and  nomenclature  are  of  course  those 
of  the  second  edition  of  the  editor's  "  Check  List  of 
North  American  Birds  "  —  that  published  the  past  year 
in  Boston  by  Estes  and  Lauriat ;  this  selection  being 
made  in  the  interest  of  a  standard  and  uniform  system 
of  nomenclature,  conformity  with  which  seems  to  be 
the  best  means  of  avoiding  that  incessant  "  shuffling  of 
names "  which  serves  chiefly  to  confuse  the  student, 
and  by  so  much  to  interfere  with  his  progress  in  the 
delightful  study  of  ornithology. 

E.  C. 

SMITHSONIAN  INSTITUTION, 
WASHINGTON,  D.  C.,  Jan.  i,  1883. 


BIRDS  OF  NEW  ENGLAND. 


FAMILY  TYRANNID^E:  FLYCATCHERS. 

THE  First  Part  of  our  work  has  been  devoted  to  the 
Singing  Birds,  technically  known  as  Oscine  (or  melodious) 
Passeres,  which  are  so  numerously  and  variously  repre- 
sented in  New  England  that  a  volume  has  scarcely 
sufficed  to  exhibit  their  habits  and  characteristics.  But 
having  finished  our  pen-portraiture  of  that  great  group, 
including  nearly  one-half  of  the  birds  of  New  England, 
we  turn  our  attention  to  other  aspects  of  bird-life,  which 
offer  us  much  greater  variety  and  certainly  not  less 
interest.  Part  Second  continues  directly  with  the  Cla- 
material  (or  non-melodious)  Passeres,  represented  in  New 
England,  as  they  are  elsewhere  in  North  America,  by  the 
single  family  Tyrannidce. 

Flycatchers  abound  in  the  warmer  parts  of  America, 
where  the  genera  and  species,  no  less  than  individuals, 
are  most  numerous.  Only  twelve  kinds,  however,  are 
found  in  New  England  ;  three  of  which  are  merely  strag- 
glers from  the  West  and  South,  having  each  been  observed 
but  once  over  our  border,  while  a  fourth  has  only  recently 
been  ascertained  to  occur  at  all.  But  the  remaining 
eight  species  are  more  or  less  familiar  and  abundant 
birds  of  our  country  during  the  migrations  and  in  the 
breeding  season. 


12 


TYRANNID^E  :  FLYCATCHERS. 


SWALLOW-TAILED    FLYCATCHER. 
MILVULUS  FORFICATUS  (Gm.)  Sw. 

Chars.  Tail  much  longer  than  the  body,  deeply  forficate.  First 
primary  emarginate.  Crown  with  a  flame-colored  patch.  Gen- 
eral color  hoary-ash,  paler  or  white  below,  with  patches  of 
scarlet  or  bloody-red  on  the  sides,  and  other  parts  of  the  body 
tinged  with  the  same  or  a  paler  shade  of  red.  Tail  black,  several 
of  the  feathers  extensively  white  or  rosy.  Wing  about  4.50 ;  tail 
nearly  a  foot  long  when  fully  developed. 

This  very  elegant  and  grace- 
ful bird  of  the  southwestern 
United  States,  abundant  and 
conspicuous  in  Texas,  is  one  of 
the  three  Flycatchers  which 
have  accidentally  occurred  in 
New  England,  each  in  a  single 
instance.  A  specimen  was 
taken  by  Mr.  Carpenter,  at 
Wauregan,  Conn.,  about  April 
27,  1876  (Purdie,  Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  21  ;  Merriam, 
B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  50).  An- 
other equally  exceptional  case 
is  that  recorded  by  Dr.  C.  C. 
Abbott  (Am.  Nat.,  vi,  1872,  p. 
367),  a  specimen  having  been 
secured  at  Trenton,  N.  J., 
April  15,  1872.  Drs.  Coues 
and  Prentiss  include  the  spe- 
cies in  their  list  of  the  birds 

FIG.  T.-Emargination  of  primaries  in  °f     the    District    of    Columbia  J 
Tyrannida.  *,  Milvulus  forficatus ;  but     that     TCCOrd     being 
b,    Tyrannus  carolinensis ;    c,    T.        , 
verticalis ;  d.  T. -vociferous.  City  Open  tO    doubt,    the 


TYRANNUS    VERTICALIS  !     ARKANSAS    FLYCATCHER.        13 

remain  the  only  authentic  instances  of  the  occurrence 
of  the  species  so  far  beyond  its  usual  range. 


ARKANSAS   FLYCATCHER. 

TYRANNUS  VERTICALIS  Say. 

Chars.  Several  outer  primaries  gradually  attenuate  for  a  long  dis- 
tance. Coloration  olivaceous  and  yellow.  Belly  and  under  tail- 
coverts  clear  yellow,  the  back  ashy-olive,  changing  to  clear  ash 
on  the  head,  throat,  and  breast,  the  chin  whitening  ;  lores  and 
auriculars  dusky  ;  wings  dark  brown  with  whitish  edging  ;  tail 
blackish,  the  outer  web  of  the  outer  feather  white.  Bill  and  feet 
black.  Length,  8.00-9.00  ;  extent,  16.50;  wing,  nearly  5.00  ;  tail, 
about  4.00  ;  bill,  0.65-0.75. 

Another  straggler  to  New  England,  this  time  from 
the  West  instead  of  the  South,  the  Arkansas  Flycatcher 
being  chiefly  a  trans-Mississippian  bird,  extremely  abun- 
dant in  its  proper  habitat.  It  has  occurred  in  New  Eng- 
land in  only  one  known  instance.  The  late  Dr.  Henry 
Bryant  recorded  a  specimen  said  to  have  been  taken  at 
Plympton,  Maine  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  x,  1865,  p. 
96).  There  being  no  such  place,  Dr.  Brewer  presumed 
Pembroke,  Maine,  was  meant,  and  so  amended  the 
record  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  443).  Mr. 
Purdie  later  gave  the  correct  reference,  the  specimen 
having  been  taken  at  Elliot,  Maine,  by  Mr.  George  E. 
Brown  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  73). 

Dr.  W.  P.  Turnbull  has  instanced  the  occurrence  of 
the  Arkansas  Flycatcher  at  Moorestown,  New  Jersey 
(B.  E.  Pa.,  1869,  p.  41).  Mr.  E.  P.  Bicknell  notes  the 
capture  of  a  specimen  in  Riverdale,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  9,  1875 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  60).  A  fourth  instance 


14  TYRANNIM::  FLYCATCHERS. 

of  the  appearance  of  this  western  bird  beyond  its  usual 
range  is  cited  by  Prof.  Baird  in  the  Smithsonian  Report 
for  1874,  p.  32,  where  notice  is  given  of  a  specimen  taken 
in  Maryland,  near  Washington,  D.  C,  and  found  in 
market  in  that  city,  Sept.  30,  1874,  by  Mr.  P.  L.  Jouy. 
These  are  all  the  cases  of  the  kind  which  have  come  to 
our  notice. 


GRAY   KING-BIRD. 

TYRANNUS    DOMINICENSIS    (Gm.)    Rick. 

Chars.  Similar  to  T.  carolinensis.  Larger ;  length  about  9.00 ; 
extent,  16.00  ;  wing,  5.50  ;  tail,  nearly  5.00,  emarginate  ;  bill  an 
inch  long,  very  stout  and  turgid.  Five  or  six  primaries  usually 
emarginate.  Upper  parts  grayish-plumbeous,  rather  darker  on 
the  head,  the  auriculars  dusky.  Under  parts  white,  shaded  with 
ashy  on  the  breast  and  sides,  the  under  wing-coverts  faintly  yel- 
lowish. Wings  and  tail  dusky,  edged  with  whitish  or  yellowish, 
the  tail-feathers  merely  indistinctly  lighter  at  their  tips,  not 
broadly  tipped  with  white. 

The  proper  habitat  of  the  Gray  King-bird  is  the  West 
Indies  and  Florida,  whence  it  occasionally  strays  north- 
ward. It  has  once  occurred  in  New  England,  having 
been  taken  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  Oct.  23,  1869,  by  Mr.  Charles 
Goodale,  as  recorded  by  Allen,  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  645  ; 
Maynard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  124;  Brewer,  Pr.  Bost. 
Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xvii,  1875,  P-  144;  Allen,  Bull.  Essex 
Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  19;  Minot,  B.  N.  E.,  1877,  p.  273,  — all 
these  records  referring  to  the  same  instance.  The  bird 
is  said  to  have  also  occurred  on  Long  Island  (Forest  and 
Stream,  July  23,  1874,  p.  373). 


TYRANNUS  CAROLINENSIS  :    KING-BIRD.  1 5 

KING-BIRD;  BEE-MARTIN. 
TYRANNUS  CAROLINENSIS  (L.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Subcrested  ;  crown  with  a  flame-colored  patch  ;  two  outer 
primaries  emarginate.  Above  blackish-ash,  blackening  on  the 
head  ;  below  pure  white  ;  breast  shaded  with  ashy  ;  tail  broadly 
tipped  with  white  ;  bill  and  feet  black.  Length,  about  8.00  ;  ex- 
tent, 14.50  ;  wing,  4.25-4.50;  tail,  3.50  ;  bill,  less  than  l.oo. 

No  one  of  the  Flycatch- 
ers is  more  abundant  in 
New  England  than  this 
tyrant,  nor  is  any  one  of 
them  so  conspicuous  a 
figure  on  the  highways 
and  in  the  by-ways  alike. 
The  spirited  creature  is  dis- 
persed over  all  our  country, 
and  therefore  characteristic 
of  no  faunal  area;  but,  in 

itS    local    distribution,    it    is  FIG.  2.  —  KING-BIRD. 

most  numerous  in  cultivated  and  populous  regions,  so 
that  the  greater  number  of  individuals  in  New  England 
is  constantly  under  the  eye  of  man,  whose  regard  is  re- 
turned with  cool  audacity  and  entire  self-reliance.  The 
vehement  twittering,  with  which  the  King-bird  expresses 
the  turbulent  passions  it  feels,  is  one  of  the  common 
sounds  of  the  orchard,  old  field,  and  road-side,  wherever 
the  bold  bird  perches  with  martial  bearing  in  wait  for  its 
prey,  or  nervously  dashes  in  the  air  on  quivering  pinion  to 
capture  the  passing  insect,  or  put  an  enemy  to  rout.  The 
notes  have  been  likened  to  those  of  Swallows,  but  they 
are  harsher,  and  pitched  in  a  higher  key.  During  the 


l6  TYRANNIES  I    FLYCATCHERS. 

mating  season  few  birds,  if  any,  make  more  noise  than 
the  King-bird,  and  none  are  more  restless, — some  un- 
easy spirit  seeming  to  urge  this  valiant  knight  to  inces- 
sant deeds  of  daring,  till  one  might  fancy  it  ready  to  tilt 
against  a  windmill  if  nothing  else  offered.  After  the 
animated  contests  of  the  pairing  season,  when  several 
ambitious  males,  with  questionable  judgment,  quarrel  for 
the  privilege  of  securing  a  vixenish  partner,  —  after 
these  tournaments  are  over,  one  would  think  that  peace 
might  reign ;  but  the  King-bird's  life  is  mostly  passed  in 
guerilla  warfare  with  every  bird  that  ventures  too  near, 
even  if  it  be  a  Crow,  Hawk  or  Owl,  many  times  its 
superior  in  all  things  excepting  audacity.  Brooking  no 
intrusion  or  division  of  kingdom,  the  courageous  bird 
deserves  its  title,  and  by  right  of  conquest  wears  the 
insignia  of  royalty,  —  tyrant  by  name  and  nature,  and 
literally  crowned  with  fire,  kindled  in  the  alembic  of  an 
ardent  heart. 

Being  exclusively  insectivorous,  like  all  of  its  tribe,  the 
King-bird  must  enter  and  leave  New  England  with  the 
appearance  and  disappearance  of  the  winged  hosts  upon 
which  it  preys.  Occasionally,  an  avant-courier  is  seen 
in  April,  and  even  by  the  middle  of  that  month ;  but  it  is 
usually  the  first  or  second  week  in  May  when  the  dashing 
bird  begins  to  sound  shrill  challenge  and  display  its 
flaming  crest,  with  defiant  shaking  of  its  feathery  lance. 
Great  numbers  press  after ;  the  quota  is  soon  filled ;  and 
no  sooner  is  the  migration  finished  than  pairing  and  nest- 
ing commence  with  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance  I 
have  described.  The  fabric  is  generally  completed  by 
the  first  of  June ;  and  the  situations  chosen  for  the  nest 
are  such  that  few  specimens  of  bird-architecture  are 
more  exposed  to  public  view.  It  is  usually  placed  in  an 


TYRANNUS    CAROLINENSIS  :     KING-BIRD.  I/ 

orchard  or  garden,  or  by  the  wayside,  on  a  horizontal 
bough  or  fork  at  a  moderate  distance  from  the  ground,  and 
being  bulky  as  well  as  openly  situated,  is  as  easily  found 
as  that  of  a  Robin.  It  is  ragged  and  loose  exteriorly,  but 
well  cupped  and  brimmed,  and  may  consist  of  twigs, 
weedstalks,  grasses,  rootlets,  leaves,  moss  and  plant  down, 
with  or  without  hair-lining, — the  soft,  fluffy  substance 
being  matted  or  felted  together  in  an  ingenious  manner. 
The  eggs  are  usually  four  or  five  in  number,  and  very 
handsomely  colored,  being  rich  creamy-white,  artistically 
spotted  and  blotched  with  dark  brown,  light  reddish- 
brown,  and  lilac,  chiefly  in  large  bold  pattern,  the  mark- 
ings themselves  sharp-edged  and  distinct,  as  well  as 
so  heavy  in  color.  The  eggs  are  consequently  not 
likely  to  be  mistaken  for  those  of  any  other  bird. 
They  measure  about  1.00x0.75,  being  thus  quite 
rotund:  but  there  is  the  usual  variation  in  size  and 
shape.  If  one  would  realize  the  courage  and  pug- 
nacity of  this  redoubtable  bird,  he  has  only  to  offer 
to  molest  the  freighted  nest,  and  see  with  what  vigor 
and  persistence — with  what  outcry  and  at  what  risk  of 
danger  the  threatened  invasion  will  be  resisted,  even 
if  ineffectually,  by  the  devoted  and  determined  parents. 
But  if  no  such  misfortune  happens,  the  brood  is  safely 
hatched  and  reared ;  and  then  one  of  the  most  pleasing 
aspects  of  the  King-bird's  life  is  witnessed  in  the  zealous 
assiduity  with  which  the  young  are  encouraged  to  leave 
the  nest  and  taught  to  use  their  tremulous  wings.  These 
duties  and  pleasures  continue  through  the  greater  part 
of  the  summer,  and  then  there  is  a  little  period  of  com- 
parative quiet  in  the  camp  before  young  and  old  alike, 
with  the  failure  of  their  supply  of  insect  food,  make  off 
for  the  South  during  the  latter  part  of  September. 


i8 


TYRANNIM:  :    FLYCATCHERS. 


GREAT    CRESTED    FLYCATCHER. 

MYIARCHUS  CRINITUS  (L.)  Cab. 

Chars.  Head  crested,  but  no  colored  crown-patch ;  no  primaries 
emarginate.  Upper  parts  olivaceous  ;  throat  and  fore-breast  pure 
ash  ;  other  under  parts  bright  yellow ;  primaries  conspicuously 
edged  with  chestnut ;  tail  feathers  dusky,  with  nearly  the  whole 
inner  webs  chestnut ;  bill  blackish ;  feet  black.  Length  8.50- 
9.00;  extent,  13.00-13.50;  wing  and  tail,  each,  about  4.00;  bill 
and  tarsus,  each,  about  0.75. 

It  is  not  easy 
to  outline  the  dis- 
tribution of  this 
bird  in  New  Eng- 
land with  a  firm 
hand,  or  in  few 
words  to  indicate 
clearly  the  man- 
ner of  its  occur- 
rence. Though 
the  records  are 
numerous,  they 
are  far  from  coin- 
cident, and  often 
conflicting.  The 
species  belongs  to 
a  thoroughly 
tropical  genus, 

FIG.  3.  — Generic    details  of  smaller    Flycatchers:    a,  naving  numerOUS 
Afyiarchus;  b,  Sayiomis ;    c,  Contopus ;  d,  Empido-  species  in  Central 

and  South  Amer- 
ica, but  only  one  which  occurs  in  the  United  States 
at  large.  If,  therefore,  it  were  a  bird  of  migration 


MYIARCHUS    CRINITUS  I    CRESTED  FLYCATCHER.          IQ 

and  distribution  so  regular  as  to  characterize  certain 
faunal  areas,  we  should  expect  it  to  be  represented 
equally  and  numerously  in  southern  New  England,  and 
sparingly  or  irregularly  further  north.  As  a  fact,  how- 
ever, it  appears  to  be  nowhere  very  abundant,  and  yet 
to  be  dispersed  with  what  may  be  called  "  regular  irreg- 
ularity" in  all  the  six  New  England  States — its  dis- 
tribution being  according  to  locality  without  special 
reference  to  latitude.  Again,  there  is  something  capri- 
cious as  well  as  fortuitous  in  its  movements  —  for  its 
numbers  seem  to  increase  or  diminish  in  particular 
localities  in  different  years,  and  it  may  even  disappear 
entirely  from  places  where  it  had  formerly  been  observed, 
or  be  seen  some  years  in  other  regions  where  there  had 
been  no  previous  records  of  its  appearance.  To  sum  the 
case  in  few  words,  we  may  say  that  this  Flycatcher  is 
locally  distributed  in  nearly  all  New  England,  but  by  no 
means  throughout  that  country ;  and  that  in  most  places 
where  found  at  all  it  is  rather  a  rare  bird.  It  is  of  course 
only  a  summer  visitor ;  it  arrives  early  in  May,  and  de- 
parts usually  before  the  end  of  September. 

Though  Nuttall  spoke  of  the  Crested  Flycatcher  as 
nearly  unknown  in  New  England,  and  Linsley  men- 
tioned the  only  individual  he  ever  saw  in  Connecticut, 
•  Mr.  Merriam  says  that  now  it  is  certainly  a  really  com- 
mon bird  in  the  southern  part  of  that  State  at  least; 
adding  that  we  must  remember  that  Nuttall  and  Linsley 
were  probably  not  familiar  with  its  characteristic  —  almost 
diagnostic  —  note.  "My  experience  with  the  bird,"  he 
states,  "  has  been,  that  it  is  rarely  seen,  unless,  guided 
by  its  note,  it  is  persistently  followed  up ;  and  even  then, 
one  is  almost  at  his  wit's  end  to  get  a  shot,  so  well  does 
the  bird  keep  concealed  amongst  the  foliage."  In  fur- 

I 


2O  TYRANNIES  I     FLYCATCHERS. 

ther  evidence  of  the  manner  of  the  bird's  presence  in 
Connecticut,  I  will  quote  again  from  Mr.  Merriam :  "  Mr. 
W.  W.  Goe,  who  early  became  familiar  with  the  note  of 
this  species,  tells  me  it  has  been  a  common  bird  in  the 
vicinity  of  Portland,  Conn.,  for  at  least  fifteen  years  — 
ever  since  he  commenced  collecting  birds.  Prof.  William 
D.  Whitney,  of  New  Haven,  informs  me  that  he  has 
known  the  bird  for  at  least  thirty  years,  and  that  he  has 
always  regarded  it  as  common.  His  observations  extend 
over  portions  of  Massachusetts  (about  Northampton),  as 
well  as  Connecticut.  Mr.  J.  N.  Clark,  of  Saybrook, 
Conn.,  says  that  it  was  not  rare,  about  the  mouth  of  the 
Connecticut,  twenty-five  years  ago ;  and  Dr.  Wm.  Wood, 
of  East  Windsor  Hill,  Conn.,  tells  me  that  it  has  bred 
regularly,  and  has  not  been  uncommon  in  that  vicinity 
for  the  last  twenty-five  or  thirty  years."  (B.  Conn., 
1877,  p.  52.) 

In  Dr.  Coues'  List  of  the  Birds  of  New  England,  the 
species  is  noted  as  a  " summer  visitant;  rather  rare" 
(Pr.  Essex  Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  264).  Dr.  Brewer's  Cata- 
logue says,  "rare  summer  resident"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii, 
1875,  p.  443).  Mr.  Allen's  Massachusetts  list  mentions 
the  bird  in  identical  terms  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p. 
19).  "The  birds  reach  Massachusetts,"  says  Mr.  Minot, 
"about  the  middle  of  May,  and  ordinarily  remain  there 
four  months"  (B.  N.  E.,  1877,  p.  275).,  In  Maine,  both 
Mr.  Verrill  and  Mr.  Boardman  give  the  species  as  rare, 
the  one  at  Norway,  the  other  at  Calais.  Mr.  Brewster 
has  latterly  found  it  a  regular  summer  visitor  to  the  Um- 
bagog  Lake  region,  where  it  was  not  ascertained  to 
occur  in  1871.  In  Vermont,  Mr.  C.  S.  Paine  has  found 
it  about  Randolph.  In  the  region  about  Hamilton, 
Canada  West,  it  is  noted  by  Mr.  T.  Mcllwraith  to  be  a 


MYIARCHUS  CRINITUS  !    CRESTED    FLYCATCHER.          21 

common  summer  resident.  An  extension  of  the  bird's 
range  of  late  years  has  been  observed  by  Mr.  Merriam, 
who,  referring  to  some  remarks  by  Mr.  T.  M.  Trippe  on 
the  irregular  migrations  of  birds  (Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873, 
p.  390),  records  a  parallel  case,  in  the  instance  of  this 
very  species  occurring  in  Lewis  County,  northern  New 
York.  "There,  prior  to  the  year  1870,  they  were  un- 
known, at  least  so  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  and  it  is  safe 
to  say  that  they  were  extremely  rare.  In  1870,  my 
cousin,  Mr.  C.  L.  Bagg,  shot  one  specimen,  the  first  we 
had  ever  seen.  During  the  next  season  I  shot  a  pair. 
I  was  away  from  home  in  1872,  but  Mr.  Bagg  informs 
me  that  he  took  several  Great  Crested  Flycatchers  that 
year,  and  that  they  were  quite  common.  In  August, 
1873,  I  sn°t  eight  in  about  an  hour's  time,  and  since 
then  they  have  been  one  of  our  commonest  species, 
breeding  abundantly  in  the  tall  maple  and  birch  forests, 
where  their  characteristic,  but  rather  harsh  cry,  may  be 
heard  at  any  hour  of  the  day  throughout  the  entire 
season."  (B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  51.) 

While  it  is  scarcely  needful  to  multiply  citations  in  the 
case  of  so  generally  if  irregularly  distributed  a  species, 
the  reader  may  be  referred  to  the  results  of  Mr.  H.  A. 
Purdie's  observations,  in  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  p.  692 ;  and 
Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  73;  ii,  1877,  p.  16;  as  well 
as  to  those  of  Mr.  R.  T.  Morris,  in  Forest  and  Stream 
of  May  14,  1874,  p.  213 ;  of  Mr.  F.  W.  Hall,  in  the  same 
paper,  of  Dec.  3,  1874,  p.  261 ;  and  of  "G.  G.  H.  Jr.," 
also  in  the  same  paper,  Aug.  23,  1877,  p.  44. 

Comparatively  few  persons  are  familiar  with  the  habits 
of  this  bird,  as  it  is  not  one  which  courts  the  society  of 
man,  but  prefers  to  keep  aloof  in  the  depths  of  the  forest, 
where  it  leads  a  wild,  shy,  and  solitary  life.  It  may  be 


22  TYRANN1D.E  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

recognized  by  its  singular  notes — one  a  harsh,  explosive 
outcry  of  one  syllable,  pitched  in  a  high  key,  and  others 
sounded  in  guttural  tone  two  or  three  times  —  all  sug- 
gestive of  the  bird's  irritable  and  impulsive  nature. 
It  keeps  for  the  most  part  high  up  among  the  trees, 
where  it  may  be  observed  perched  on  the  end  of  a  dead 
branch  in  the  attitude  so  characteristic  of  its  tribe  — 
with  drooping  or  swaying  tail  and  listless  air — to  be  ex- 
changed in  an  instant,  however,  for  quick  and  spirited 
action,  should  anything  excite  its  attention,  or  provoke 
its  anger.  It  is  an  extremely  pugnacious  bird,  and  the 
combats  of  the  males  in  the  breeding  season  are  almost 
incessant.  Its  forays  for  passing  insects  are  executed 
with  great  verve  and  adroitness,  and  at  other  times  the 
bird  may  be  seen  dashing  at  a  high  rate  of  speed  through 
the  tree-tops.  Under  any  excitement  the  crest  is  erected, 
and  the  wings  are  held  quivering  in  readiness  for  instant 
action. 

Our  Flycatchers  are  without  exception  distinguished 
by  some  peculiarity  of  nidification,  and  the  nesting  of  the 
present  species  is  in  a  manner  quite  its  own.  It  builds 
in  the  hollows  of  trees,  and  the  cast  skins  of  snakes  are 
almost  invariably  found  among  the  materials  which  com- 
pose the  nest.  Post-holes,  and  even  artificial  retreats, 
such  as  Blue-bird  or  Martin  boxes,  are  sometimes  occu- 
pied. The  eggs,  four  or  five  in  number,  measuring  about 
0.85  by  0.62,  are  unique  in  pattern  of  coloration,  of  which 
it  is  difficult  to  give  an  adequate  description.  Upon  a 
buff  or  rich  clay-colored  ground  are  drawn  lengthwise 
numberless  markings  of  dark  purplish-chestnut,  or  pur- 
plish-chocolate, mixed  with  others  of  a  paler  and  more 
lilaceous  tint  —  these  markings  being  mostly  of  a  peculiar 
sharp,  scratchy  character,  as  if  done  with  a  fine  pen.  At 


SAYIORNIS  FUSCA  I    PEWEE  ;    PHCEBE-BIRD.  23 

the  greater  end  of  the  egg  the  tracery  becomes  more 
expansive  and  somewhat  confluent,  but  the  scratches, 
which  cover  the  whole  surface,  are  for  the  most  part 
distinct ;  they  mostly  preserve  their  longitudinal  char- 
acter, but  in  some  specimens  they  run  in  every  direction. 
This  remarkable  style  of  egg  obtains  in  all  the  North 
American  species  of  the  genus,  and  may  be  as  truly  a 
generic  character  as  is  any  one  of  those  derived  from  the 
birds  themselves.  It  would  not  be  surprising  to  learn 
that  it  is  related  to  some  peculiarity  of  the  minute 
anatomy  of  the  oviduct. 


PEWEE;  PEWIT;  PHCEBE-BIRD. 
SAYIORNIS  FUSCA  (Gm.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Head  sub-crested,  without  colored  crown-patch,  and  no 
primaries  emarginate.  Above,  dull  olive-brown,  becoming  quite 
blackish  on  the  head  ;  below,  soiled  whitish  or  very  pale  yellow, 
brightest  on  the  belly  and  under  tail  coverts,  shaded  on  the 
breast  and  sides  with  grayish-brown.  Wings  and  tail  dusky  ; 
the  outer  tail  feathers  and  inner  secondaries  edged  with  whitish  ; 
a  whitish  eye-ring ;  bill,  eyes  and  feet,  black.  Late  summer 
specimens,  in  worn  plumage,  are  quite  dull  and  dingy.  Autumnal 
birds  are  brighter-colored  than  in  spring.  Very  young  birds 
have  rusty  edgings  of  the  feathers,  especially  those  of  the  wings 
and  tail.  Length,  6.75-7.25;  extent,  11.00-11.75;  wing,  3.25- 
3.50;  tail,  about  the  same,  emarginate  ;  bill,  0.50-0.55,  little 
depressed,  not  so  broad  for  its  length,  or  so  much  flattened,  as 
in  Contopus  and  Empidonax,  its  lateral  outlines  straight  ;  tarsus 
equalling  or  exceeding  the  middle  toe  and  claw,  these  together, 
about  1.33  ;  point  of  wing  formed  by  the  second-fifth  quill,  third 
and  fourth  usually  a  little  the  longest ;  first  shorter  than  sixth. 

Having  left  the  larger  Flycatchers,  we  enter  with  this 
species  upon  the  "little  tyrants" — Tyrannulas,  as  they 


24  TYRANNID.E  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

used  to  be  called :  small  olivaceous  Flycatchers,  without 
very  strong  distinctive  coloration,  or  any  bright  tints 
whatever.  The  present,  though  the  only  one  of  its 
genus  in  New  England,  and  well  marked  in  the  char- 
acters above  given,  requires  careful  discrimination,  in  the 
hands  of  the  novice,  from  any  of  the  species  of  Contopus 
or  Empidonax.  Closely  related,  however,  as  it  is  to 
these  in  physical  characters,  it  differs  so  much  in  habits, 
in  notes,  in  nesting,  and  almost  every  particular  of  its 
life-history,  as  to  make  in  our  bird-life  quite  a  figure 
of  its  own. 

It  is  a  summer  visitor  to  New  England,  like  all  the 
family ;  but  it  comes  earlier  and  lingers  later  than  any 
other,  being  found  in  seasons  so  unpropitious  that  one 
wonders  where  it  finds  the  necessary  supply  of  insect 
food ;  and  in  fact  at  some  seasons  berries  form  a  part  of 
its  food.  It  is  one  of  the  very  first  birds  to  presage  the 
opening  year, — the  very  harbinger  of  spring.  Before 
that  season  is  crowned,  the  bird  is  on  the  alert,  and 
its  sharp,  querulous  "pewit — pewit"  seems  to  complain 
impatiently  of  the  tardy  march  of  nature  forth  from 
bondage  into  freedom.  An  occasional  Phoebe-bird  may 
appear  even  in  February ;  some  come  by  the  middle  of 
March ;  by  the  end  of  that  month  there  are  plenty,  and 
it  is  well  through  October  before  the  loitering  hosts  have 
disappeared.  For  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  therefore, 
Pewits  make  their  homes  in  New  England;  they  are 
common,  in  most  places  abundant,  and  not  restricted  by 
latitude  in  their  distribution  ;  and  being  also  very  famil- 
iar birds,  are  among  those  best  known  to  all  classes. 

Civilization  has  effected  in  this  case  the  same  change 
in  the  nest-building  of  a  bird  that  has  resulted  in  the 
more  conspicuous  instance  of  the  Swallows,  by  affording 


SAYIORNIS    FUSCA:     PEWEE  ;     PHCEBE-BIRD.  25 

artificial  nesting  sites  so  convenient  that  the  bird  habitu- 
ally avails  itself  of  these  facilities.  The  original  "  typical " 
situation  is  the  side  of  an  upright  rock,  usually  over  water, 
and  often  itself  dripping;  the  nest  being  affixed  either 
to  the  open  face  of  the  stone,  or  beneath  a  projecting 
shelf,  or  in  a  cranny  or  retiring  angle.  Other  sites 
frequently  selected  are  the  sides  of  earthen  embank- 
ments or  cuts,  such  as  a  Bank  Swallow  or  Kingfisher 
might  burrow  in  ;  or  the  roots  of  upturned  trees,  with 
plenty  of  earth  clinging  to  them.  The  eaves  and 
rafters  of  buildings  now  furnish  the  usual  substitutes. 
The  nest  resembles  a  fourth  of  a  sphere,  applied  by  a 
vertical  flat  surface  to  the  support,  with  another  surface 
horizontal  and  hollowed  out — the  curved  contour  being 
somewhat  elongated  downward.  The  nest  is  built,  like 
that  of  the  Barn  Swallow,  of  mixed  mud  and  vegetable 
substances,  but  is  much  neater  and  more  compact ;  moss 
usually  enters  largely  into  its  composition,  and  those 
nests  which  are  placed  on  wet  rocks  near  the  water,  in 
the  cool,  moist,  shady  nooks  the  bird  loves  so  well,  are 
often  composed  chiefly  of  moss  and  mud,  which  may  be 
artistically  stuccoed  with  lichens.  Two  and  even  three 
broods  may  be  reared  under  favorable  conditions  in  one 
season.  The  first  set  of  eggs  is  usually  completed  early 
in  May,  and  another  some  time  in  June.  The  eggs  are 
ordinarily  four  or  five  in  number,  measuring  about  o./oX 
0.52;  they  are  normally  pure  white  and  unmarked, 
though  in  some  cases  sprinkled  with  a  few  dots.  The 
attachment  of  the  Pewit  to  particular  places  is  a  marked 
trait.  A  pair  will  return  year  after  year  to  re-occupy  the 
same  home  in  preference  to  any  other  equally  eligible 
nesting  site  ;  and  their  perseverance  in  building  under  the 
most  discouraging  circumstances  is  no  less  remarkable. 


26  TYRANNID.E  I  FLYCATCHERS. 

OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER. 

CONTOPUS    BOREALIS    (StV.)    Bd. 

Chars.  Head  sub-crested ;  feet  extremely  small ;  tarsus  shorter 
than  middle  toe  and  claw  ;  pointed  wings  much  longer  than  the 
emarginate  tail.  Length,  7.00-8.00  ;  wing,  3.90-4.30  ;  tail  about 
3.00;  tarsus,  middle  toe  and  claw,  together,  only  about  1.25; 
bill,  0.66-0.75.  Dark  olive-brown,  usually  darkest  on  the  crown, 
and  palest  on  the  sides  ;  chin,  throat,  belly,  under  tail-coverts, 
and  middle  line  of  breast,  white,  or  whitish  ;  wings  and  tail  black- 
ish, with  whitish  edging  of  the  inner  quills  ;  upper  mandible  and 
feet  black.  The  olive-brown  of  the  under  parts  has  a  peculiar 
streaky  appearance;  there  is  a  tuft  of  fluffy  white  feathers  on  the 
flank. 

This  is  much  the  largest  of  the  olivaceous  Flycatchers, 
nearly  equalling  a  Myiarchus  in  dimensions;  but  its  form 
is  strictly  that  of  the  Wood  Pewee.  Though  not  charac- 
teristic of  any  faunal  area,  it  is  more  abundant  in  the 
Canadian  than  in  the  Alleghanian,  and  in  the  breeding 
season  quite  rare  in  the  Carolinian;  that  is  to  say,  it 
grows  more  and  more  numerous  in  summer  as  we  pro- 
ceed northward  in  New  England.  Thus,  for  Connecticut, 
Mr.  Merriam  furnished  in  1877  the  first  record  subsequent 
to  the  doubtful  one  made  in  1843  by  Linsley :  "Rare; 
probably  a  few  breed  in  the  more  northern  and  hilly 
parts  of  the  state,  as  they  are  known  to  do  in  Massa- 
chusetts. On  the  1 8th  of  October,  1875,  attracted  by 
its  characteristic  note,  which  is  a  short  whistle,  resem- 
bling the  syllables  o-wheo,  o-wheo,  o-wheo,  uttered  several 
times  in  succession,  with  the  voice  falling  on  the  last  o, 
I  caught  a  momentary  glimpse  of  one,  perched  on  the 
top  of  a  tall  tree ;  but  the  bird  was  very  shy,  and  I  did 
not  succeed  in  getting  a  shot.  Mr.  Erwin  I.  Shores 


CONTOPUS  BOREALIS  I    OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER.      2/ 

writes  me  that  he  took  a  male  at  Suffield,  Conn., 
Aug.  8,  1874.  This  is  strong  evidence  of  their  breed- 
ing in  the  hills  about  that  portion  of  the  state,  for  mi- 
grants would  hardly  appear  in  Connecticut  during  the 
first  of  August."  (B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  53.  See  also  his 
notes  in  Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  p.  750,  and  viii,  1874,  p.  309 ; 
also  R.  Deane's,  ibid,  p.  308.)  The  Connecticut  record 
being  thus  so  meagre,  the  time  of  the  entry  of  this 
migratory  bird  into  New  England  cannot  be  given  with 
precision.  It  is  one  of  the  later  arrivals,  however,  ap- 
parently not  reaching  Massachusetts  before  the  second 
week  in  May,  and  leaving  its  summer  resorts  rather  early 
in  September.  In  that  state,  different  observers  have 
called  it  a  "  rare  summer  resident,"  a  "  rather  uncommon 
summer  resident,"  "neither  rare  nor  common,"  and 
"quite  common,"  according  to  different  localities  and 
circumstances  of  observation.  It  is  marked  as  "quite 
common  and  breeding"  at  Umbagog  Lake,  in  Maine,  by 
Messrs.  Maynard  and  Brewster,  and  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman 
speaks  of  its  "abundance  "  some  seasons  in  the  vicinity  of 
Calais,  in  the  latter  state.  We  also  have  records  to  cor- 
responding effect  from  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire. 

The  Olive-sided  Flycatcher  is  confined  to  no  particu- 
lar kind  of  ground,  but  may  be  observed  in  orchards  and 
gardens,  or  groves  of  evergreen  trees,  as  well  as  in  the 
depths  of  pine  forests.  In  Massachusetts,  it  is  partial 
to  pitch  pine  groves,  especially  during  the  breeding 
season.  Wherever  found  it  is  likely  to  become  a  con- 
spicuous object  from  its  habit  of  perching  in  exposed 
situations  upon  the  ends  of  dead  limbs,  or  blasted  tree- 
tops,  whence  it  utters  its  loud  characteristic  notes  and 
makes  its  spirited  sallies  after  passing  insects,  return- 
ing to  the  same  post  of  observation.  Nesting  is  essen- 


28  TYRANNID^E  :     FLYCATCHERS. 

tially  similar  to  that  of  the  Wood  Pewee,  the  structure 
being  saddled  on  a  horizontal  limb,  or  fixed  in  a  fork, 
often  at  a  great  height  from  the  ground.  The  nest  is  a 
shallow,  saucer-like  fabric  of  twigs,  rootlets,  weed-stalks, 
bark-strips  and  other  similar  material,  rather  loosely  put 
together.  The  very  handsome  eggs  are  of  a  pure  creamy 
white,  speckled  with  brown  or  reddish  and  lilaceous 
shades  ;  they  are  four  or  three  in  number,  measuring 
about  0.85x0.65,  and  are  laid  from  the  last  week  in 
May,  as  in  Massachusetts,  to  middle  of  June  in  Maine. 


WOOD   PEWEE. 
CONTOPUS  VIRENS  (L.)  Cab. 

Chars.  With  the  form  and  proportions  of  the  last  species,  but 
much  smaller.  Length,  6.00-6.50 ;  wing,  3.25-3.50 ;  tail,  2.75- 
3.00 ;  tarsus,  middle  toe  and  claw,  together,  scarcely  or  not 
i.oo;  tarsus  alone,  about  0.50,  thus  no  longer  than  the  bill;  no 
evident  white  tuft  on  the  flank;  head  sub-crested,  with  erectile 
feathers.  Olive-brown,  rather  darker  on  the  head  ;  sides  with  a 
paler  shade  of  the  same,  reaching  nearly  or  quite  across  the 
breast ;  the  throat  and  belly  whitish,  more  or  less  tinged  with 
yellowish  ;  under  tail-coverts  the  same,  usually  streaked  with 
dusky ;  tail  and  wings  blackish,  the  secondaries  and  coverts 
edged  and  tipped  with  whitish  ;  feet  and  upper  mandible  black  ; 
under  mandible  usually  yellow,  sometimes  dusky. 

In  numbers  according  to  latitudinal  distribution  the 
well-known  Wood  Pewee  presents  the  reverse  state  of  the 
case  just  outlined  for  the  Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  being 
most  abundant  in  southern  New  England,  and  gradually 
becoming  less  numerous  as  we  proceed  northward. 
Nevertheless,  it  is  one  of  New  England's  very  com- 


CONTOPUS    VIRENS  :     WOOD    PEWEE.  2Q 

mon  birds,  and  inhabits  all  of  the  country.  As  its  name 
indicates,  ft  is  partial  to  forests,  and  on  the  whole  is  of  a 
retiring  and  unfamiliar  disposition,  though  far  from  shy, 
and  often  surrendering  the  pleasures  of  solitude  for  those 
of  society  in  the  orchard  or  garden.  Wherever  it  may 
fix  its  home,  whether  in  the  seclusion  of  sylvan  retreats 
or  in  the  vicinity  of  man's  abode,  its  presence  is  soon 
made  known  by  its  oft-repeated  melancholy  notes,  seem- 
ing to  speak  some  settled  sorrow  that  time  can  never 
heal.  The  sighing  of  the  pines  is  not  more  express- 
ive of  mournful  fancies  than  the  sobbing  of  the  little 
sombre-colored  bird,  flitting  apparently  inconsolable 
through  their  shades.  But  we  need  not  be  moved  to 
pity  by  the  anatomical  configuration  of  a  bird's  wind- 
pipe. Let  us  stick  to  science,  and  leave  the  sham  of 
things  to  poets.  The  Pewee  is  a  very  practical  and 
doubtless  happy  bird,  brimful  of  active  energy,  con- 
stantly exhibited  in  the  forays  it  makes  after  winged  in- 
sects that  venture  too  near  its  perch,  and  in  the  nervous 
way  the  wings  flutter  before  and  after  these  spirited  ex- 
cursions, while  the  lengthened  feathers  of  the  crown  are 
alternately  erected  and  depressed  with  the  changing 
mood  of  the  irritable  creature. 

Quite  the  opposite  of  its  relative  the  Phoebe-bird,  the 
Wood  Pewee  is  a  loiterer  by  the  way  in  spring ;  though 
it  seems  in  no  particular  haste  to  depart  with  the  waning 
season.  It  is  in  fact  one  of  the  latest  arrivals  among  our 
summer  guests — very  fashionable  in  this  respect.  It 
scarcely  enters  Connecticut  before  the  middle  of  May, 
and  is  not  generally  dispersed  over  the  country  before 
June.  The  return  movement  may  begin  early  in  Sep- 
tember, in  more  northerly  sections,  but  is  not  completed 
till  the  end  of  that  month.  Nesting  is  correspondingly 


3O  TYRANNIM:  :   FLYCATCHERS. 

delayed,  the  average  time  being  not  before  the  middle  of 
June.  The  nest  is  very  pretty — a  flat,  compact,  circular 
structure,  with  thick  walls  and  well-turned  brim,  but  very 
thin  flooring,  closely  saddled  on  a  horizontal  bough,  or 
set  in  a  forked  twig.  It  is  neatly  finished  on  the  outside 
with  lichens,  like  that  of  the  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher  or 
Humming-bird,  so  as  to  be  effectually  concealed  from 
casual  search  by  its  resemblance  to  a  natural  excrescence 
of  the  limb.  The  principal  materials  are  fine  grasses, 
slender  bark-strips  and  rootlets,  circularly  disposed,  and 
often  fastened  with  silky  or  cottony  threads.  The  pre- 
cise structure  of  its  nest  will  vary,  of  course,  according 
to  the  site  selected  :  the  saddled  nests  being  scarcely 
more  than  walls  of  which  the  bough  itself  furnishes  the 
basement ;  while  nests  in  forks  are  furnished  with  more 
substantial  flooring.  The  elevation  above  the  ground  is 
another  variable  element,  being  sometimes  only  ten  or 
twelve  feet,  while  in  other  (and  more  usual)  cases  the 
birds  build  high  up  in  tall  trees.  Under  any  circum- 
stances, however,  the  nest  may  be  recognized  by  its 
shallowness,  with  its  thick,  compact,  lichen-stuccoed 
walls,  and  its  spotted,  creamy  eggs.  The  eggs,  to  the 
usual  number  of  four  or  three,  measuring  about  o./ox 
0.55,  are  creamy  white,  blotched  with  the  usual  shades 
of  reddish  and  darker  and  more  lilaceous  brown,  the 
markings^  being  often  wreathed  about  the  larger  end. 
Notwithstanding  the  procrastination  of  the  bird  in  build- 
ing, more  than  one  brood  may  be  reared  under  favorable 
circumstances. 


EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS  :  ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER.    31 

ACADIAN    FLYCATCHER. 
EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS  (Gm.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Above,  clear  continuous  olive-green,  rather  darker  on  the 
crown,  where  the  feathers  have  dusky  centres  ;  below,  whitish, 
shaded  with  olive  on  sides  and  nearly  across  breast,  washed 
with  yellowish  on  belly,  flanks,  and  under  wing-  and  tail-coverts; 
wings  dusky,  the  coverts  tipped,  and  the  secondaries  edged 
with  tawny  yellow;  tail  dusky,  glossed  with  olive;  a  yellowish 
eye-ring;  feet  and  upper 'mandible  brown;  under  mandible  pale. 
The  largest  of  this  genus.  Length,  5.75-6.25;  extent  about  9.50; 
wing,  2.75-3.00;  tail,  2.50-2.75;  bill,  nearly  or  quite  0.50;  tarsus, 
0.66;  middle  toe  and  claw,  0.50;  point  of  wing  reaching  nearly 
i.oo  beyond  the  secondaries  ;  ist  quill  much  longer  than  6th. 

Notwithstanding  the  suggestive  name,  the  "Acadian" 
Flycatcher  is  scarcely  a  bird  of  New  England,  and  much 
misunderstanding  has  resulted  from  reliance  upon  erro- 
neous records  of  its  supposed  occurrence  in  New  Eng- 
land. It  should  be  remembered  that  it  is  now  scarcely 
more  than  twenty  years  since  Prof.  Baird  first  accurately 
distinguished  the  four  eastern  species  of  Empidonax, 
concerning  which  the  greatest  confusion  and  uncertainty 
had  before  obtained.  Passing  over  all  the  earlier  records 
which,  whether  having  any  basis  of  fact  or  not,  are  too 
indeterminate  for  use,  we  may  note  the  steps  by  which 
we  have  reached  the  true  state  of  the  case.  In  the  first 
general  list  of  New  England  birds,  Dr.  Coues  speaks  of 
the  Acadian  Flycatcher  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  Summer  resident.  Not  abundant.  This  species 
seems  to  be  more  restricted  in  its'  northern  range  than 
the  others  of  the  genus,  apparently  not  proceeding  much 
farther  than  Massachusetts.  It  is  not,  I  believe,  recorded 


32  TYRANNID^:  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

from  Maine.  But  Mr.  Samuels  erroneously  omits  it  from 
his  Massachusetts  list.  Earlier  authors  speak  of  it  as 
being  very  common,  but  so  far  as  I  can  learn  it  is  quite 
rare.  At  Washington,  D.  C,  it  is  by  far  the  most  abun- 
dant species  of  the  genus."  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  v,  1868,  p. 

264). 

This  is  an  inkling  of  the  truth,  in  recognizing  the  re- 
stricted southerly  habitat  of  the  bird  in  comparison  with 
its  congeners,  and  would  appear  to  be  well-founded,  view- 
ing the  many  New  England  records  upon  which  it  was 
based ;  among  them  that  of  so  careful  and  reliable  an 
observer  as  Mr.  Allen,  who  had  confidently  attributed 
the  species  to  Massachusetts  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  1864, 
p.  54).  The  uncertainty  of  the  case  was  soon  after 
remarked  by  Dr.  Brewer  (Am.  Nat.,  i,  1867,  p.  119), 
who  later  communicated  to  Dr.  Coues  a  note  on  the 
subject,  which  was  published  in  the  Birds  of  the  North- 
west. "  I  do  not  think  the  bird  occurs  in  New  England, 
even  in  the  Connecticut  Valley,  and  believe  that  Mr. 
Allen  has  mixed  it  up  with  traillii.  I  have  myself  no 
evidence  of  its  breeding  northeast  of  Philadelphia ;  but 
it  is  shy  and  retiring  in  its  habits,  and  would  readily 
escape  notice,  so  that  its  presence  in  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  and  New  England  may  not  be  uncommon,  and  yet 
we  not  know  it."  (B.  N.  W.,  1874,  p.  251.)  In  the 
same  work  (p.  250)  it  is  stated  that  the  bird  "remains  to 
be  detected  in  New  England."  Dr.  Brewer,  therefore, 
very  properly  expunged  the  species  from  his  catalogue 
of  1875,  with  the  following  statement :  "Mr.  Allen  in- 
forms me  that  the  species  found  in  western  Massachu- 
setts, and  included  by  him  in  the  list  as  the  Acadian 
Flycatcher,  is  really  Emp.  Traillii.  This  leaves  us 
without  any  evidence  of  the  occurrence  of  the  species, 


EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS  I  ACADIAN  FLYCATCHER.   33 

and  I  have  therefore  taken  it  from  the  list "  (Pr.  Bost. 
Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  452). 

In  1876,  in  a  paper  "  on  two  Empidonaces,  traillii  and 
acadicus"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  1/1876,  pp.  14-17),  the  sub- 
ject was  well  handled  by  Mr.  Henshaw,  with  special 
reference  to  the  diffe'rences  between  the  species  named 
in  geographical  distribution,  nesting,  and  eggs.  Then, 
after  it  had  been  made  out  to  every  one's  satisfaction 
that  the  bird  had  never  been  known  to  occur  in 
New  England,  the  claim  of  this  characteristic  com- 
ponent of  the  Carolinian  fauna  to  a  place  among 
the  birds  of  New  England  was  immediately  proven  by 
Mr.  C.  H.  Merriam,  who  marked  it  in  his  list  as 
"a  rare  summer  visitant  from  the  middle  states,"  add- 
ing that  "  it  may  breed  in  the  Connecticut  Valley " 
as  is  doubtless  the  case.  "It  affords  me  great  pleas- 
ure," he  continues,  "to  be  able,  through  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  Erwin  I.  Shores,  to  replace  this  species 
among  the  birds  of  New  England.  As  is  well  known, 
it  was  formerly  included  in  [nearly]  all  New  England 
lists,  but,  as  shown  by  Dr.  Coues,  Mr.  H.  W.  Henshaw, 
and  others,  the  records  were  founded  on  erroneous  iden- 
tifications—  the  bird  having  been  mistaken  for  E.  mini- 
mus or  Traillii,  generally  the  former.  .  .  .  Hence  it 
was  with  a  peculiar  sense  of  gratification  that  I  received, 
a  few  days  since,  an  unmistakable  example  of  the  species, 
from  Mr.  Shores,  who  relates  that  he  shot  it  in  '  Suffield, 
Conn.,  June  24th,  1874,  in  a  piece  of  woods  known  as 
Beech  Swamp.'  For  the  benefit  of  those  who  may  not 
be  disposed  to  accept  my  identification  in  so  important  a 
matter,  and  to  avoid  all  possibility  of  mistake,  I  at  once 
sent  the  bird  to  my  friend,  Mr.  Robert  Ridgway,  of  the 
Smithsonian  Institute,  and  he  pronounces  it  to  be  a 


34  TYRANNIC:  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

typical  E.  acadicus"  (B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  58.)  This 
species  was  soon  after  restored  to  its  rightful  place  by 
Dr.  Brewer  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  306). 

Dr.  Brewer  states  that  the  nest  of  the  Acadian  Fly- 
catcher "is  generally  placed  on  a  drooping  limb  of  a 
beech  or  dogwood  tree,  at  a  height  of  from  six  to  ten 
feet  from  the  ground.  It  is  never  saddled  on  a  limb  like 
that  of  a  Wood  Pewee,  neither  is  it  pensile  like  that  of 
the  Vireos,  but  is  built  in  the  fork  of  a  small  limb,  and 
securely  fastened  thereto  by  a  strip  of  bark.  The  nest 
itself  is  mostly  made  of  fine  strips  of  bark  or  weed  stalks, 
woven  together  without  much  care  as  to  neatness  or 
strength,  and  so  slight  is  the  structure  that  you  may 
often  count  the  eggs  in  the  nest  from  below.  Occasion- 
ally the  bird  constructs  its  nest  of  the  blossoms  of  the 
hickory-tree,  and  when  thus  made,  it  is  very  neat  and 
pretty."  (Hist.  N.  A.  Birds,  ii,  1874,  p.  376.) 

Mr.  Henshaw's  article  compares  the  nest  with  that  of 
E.  traillii  to  find  a  very  striking  difference.  "  It  is  a  slight 
structure  made  of  fine  grasses,  interspersed  more  or  less 
with  the  blossoms  of  trees,  the  whole  disposed  in  a  cir- 
cular form  and  fitted  between  two  twigs ;  a  firm  support 
is  derived  from  a  binding  of  spiders'  webs,  which  are 
interwoven  with  the  sides  of  the  nest,  and  then  carried 
over  the  twigs  on  either  side,  encircling  them  with  strong 
bands.  The  entire  base  of  the  nest  is  without  support, 
and  so  thin  is  the  slight  structure  that  the  eggs  might 
almost  be  seen  from  below.  It  was  built  in  a  small 
tree,  perhaps  twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  In  this 
respect  the  two  species  vary  but  little,  both  preferring 
to  select  the  lower  branches  of  tree  or  shrub  for  their 
domicile,  and  only  rarely  departing  from  the  rule." 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  1 6.) 


EMPIDONAX  ACADICUS  :  ACADIAN  FLYCAtCHER.    35 

This  account  of  the  decided  peculiarity  of  the  nest  is 
endorsed  by  Dr.  Coues,  upon  examination  of  specimens 
sent  to  him  from  Missouri.  "  Two  nests  of  this  species 
are  strikingly  different  from  those  of  trailli  in  structure, 
in  materials,  and  in  position.  They  appear  to  have  been 
taken  from  long,  slender  horizontal  branchlets,  in  the 
horizontal  forks  of  which  they  rest.  They  are  shallow 
nests, — in  fact,  rather  saucer-like  than  cupped-shape, 
some  three  and  a  half  inches  across  outside  by  less  than 
two  inches  in  depth,  the  cavity  over  two  inches  across 
the  brim,  by  scarcely  one  inch  in  depth.  They  are  very 
light,  '  open-work '  structures,  so  thinly  floored  that  the 
eggs  may  have  been  visible  to  one  looking  up  from 
below;  and  the  walls,  though  more  compact,  still 'let 
daylight  through  on  all  sides.  These  nests,  in  short, 
may  be  compared  to  light  hammocks  swung  between 
forks.  Each  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  long  walnut 
aments,  which,  drooping  in  slender  sprays  from  all  sides, 
give  a  tasteful,  airy  effect  to  these  pretty  structures. 
There  is  a  slight  lining  in  each  case  of  slender  grass- 
stems  and  still  finer  rootlets,  loosely  interlaid  in  every 
direction  on  the  bottom,  rather  circularly  disposed  around 
the  brim.  These  specimens  were  taken  June  13  and  18, 
1879,  in  hickory  woods,  at  altitudes  of  ten  and  fifteen 
feet."  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  23.) 

According  to  the  same  authority  the  eggs  of  acadicus 
are  so  similar  to  those  of  trailli  that  no  one  should  pre- 
sume to  tell  them  apart  with  any  show  of  confidence. 
They  are  said  to  be  only  three  in  number.  Dr.  Coues 
also  gives  the  following  rules  for  distinguishing  the  four 
eastern  species  of  the  genus,  when  site  and  structure  of 
nests  and  character  of  eggs  are  together  taken  into  con- 
sideration :  — 


36  TYRANNID.E  I  FLYCATCHERS. 

E.  acadicus.  Nest  in  trees,  in  horizontal  forks,  thin, 
saucer-shaped,  open-worked ;  eggs  creamy  white,  boldly 
spotted. 

E.  trailli.  Nest  in  trees,  in  upright  crotch,  thick, 
deeply  cupped,  more  or  less  compact  walled ;  eggs 
creamy  white,  boldly  spotted. 

E.  minimus.  Nest  in  trees,  in  upright  crotch,  deeply 
cupped,  compact  walled  ;  eggs  immaculate  white. 

E.flaviventris.  Nest  on  ground  or  near  it,  deeply 
cupped,  thick  and  bulky ;  eggs  white,  spotted. 


TRAILL'S   FLYCATCHER. 

EMPIDONAX  TRAILLI  (Aiid.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Above,  olive-brown,  lighter  and  duller  brownish  posteriorly, 
darker  on  the  head;  below,'  nearly  as  in  acadicus,  but  darker,  the 
olive-gray  shading  quite  across  the  breast;  wing-markings  gray- 
ish-white, with  slightly  yellowish  or  tawny  shade;  under  mandible 
pale;  upper  mandible  and  feet  black.  Rather  smaller  than  aca- 
dicus. Length,  5.50-6.00  ;  extent,  8.50-9.50 ;  wing,  2.65-2.80  ; 
its  tip  only  reaching  abont  0.66  beyond  the  secondaries ;  tail, 
2.50;  tarsus,  0.66;  middle  toe  and  claw,  0.60. 

Traill's  Flycatcher  is  a  common  bird  of  Southern  New 
England,  in  suitable  localities,  during  the  migrations, 
which  take  place  in  May  and  September.  It  is  found 
chiefly  in  thickets,  copses,  and  low  wet  woodland, 
where  it  may  be  recognized  by  one  having  a  good  ear  for 
such  things  by  its  peculiar  note,  likened  by  Mr.  May- 
nard  to  the  syllables  kewink',  not  so  quickly  uttered, 
and  therefore  quite  different  from  the  abrupt  chebec , 
or  sewic'j  of  the  more  abundant  and  more  generally 
diffused  Least  Flycatcher.  Others  syllabify  the  note  by 


EMPIDONAX  TRAILLI  :  TRA1LL  S  FLYCATCHER.    37 

pretty-dear,  with  accent  on  the  de.  The  bird  appears  to 
be  quite  rare  in  some  sections,  particularly  Eastern  Mas- 
sachusetts, where  E.  minimus  is  the  chief  representative 
of  the  genus.  According  to  Mr.  Merriam,  it  is  in  Con- 
necticut a  common  summer  resident,  arriving  early  in 
May  and  frequenting  swampy  localities,  where  it  breeds 
(B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  58).  This  may  be  so;  but  the  diffi- 
culty of  distinguishing  the  little  Flycatchers  is  well- 
known,  and  Mr.  Purdie  writes  me  that  he  thinks  there 
must  be  some  mistake  about  the  bird's  breeding  in 
Connecticut.  For  even  though  Flycatcher  nests  "  like 
those  of  the  Indigo-bird "  have  been  found  in  north- 
western Massachusetts,  the  distribution  of  Traill's  Fly- 
catcher in  the  breeding  season  is  no  less  characteristic 
of  the  Canadian  Fauna  than  is  that  of  several  species 
which  have  been  used  to  indicate  the  difference  between 
that  Fauna  and  the  Alleghanian. 

According  to  Mr.  Henshaw  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1874, 
p.  15),  the  nest  of  Traill's  Flycatcher  may  be  compared 
fairly  with  the  usual  style  of  the  Summer  Warbler,  so 
well  known  to  every  one,  "  but  lacks  something  of  the 
compactness  and  neatness  shown  by  this  species  in 
weaving  together  the  materials  that  make  up  its  home. 
Hempen  fibres  compose  the  exterior,  or  the  bulk  of  the 
nest,  while  internally  it  is  lined  in  true  Flycatcher  style 
with  fine  grasses,  and  a  slight  admixture  of  down  from 
thistles ;  the  main  point  of  all,  however,  is  its  position  with 
regard  to  the  branches.  It  is  built  into  an  upright  fork, 
the  small  twigs  that  surround  it  being  made  available  to 
secure  it  more  firmly  in  its  place  by  being  encircled  with 
the  stringy  fibres.  In  this  particular  of  position  correspond 
all  the  nests  of  this  bird  I  have  seen,  as  well  as  those  of 
pusillus  in  the  West."  As  Mr.  Widmann  has  observed, 


38  TYRANNIM:  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

"  upright  fork  "  in  this  case  does  not  necessarily  mean 
an  upright  branch,  for  the  limb  itself  may  be  horizontal, 
or  even  drooping ;  when  the  nest  will  be  found  fastened 
to  twigs  which  spring  up  and  form  a  perfect  crotch. 
Several  nests,  sent  from  Missouri  by  Mr.  Widmann  to 
Dr.  Coues,  are  thus  described  by  the  latter:  "The 
situation,  materials,  and  whole  style  of  architecture 
of  these  three  nests  are  different  from  those  of  acadicus, 
and  are  identical  with  those  of  E.  minimus  (eggs  of 
which  latter  are  pure  white,  unmarked).  They  are 
built  in  each  case  on  a  stouter  bough,  in  the  upright 
crotch  formed  by  two  or  several  twigs  springing  up  from 
the  main  stem  ;  very  compact,  thick-walled  and  deeply- 
cupped  structures,  let  firmly  down  into  the  crotch, — the 
twigs  either  grooving  the  walls,  as  in  one  instance,  or 
embedded  into  the  substance  of  the  nest,  as  in  the  other 
two  cases.  The  outside  diameter  is  nearly  or  about 
three  inches,  while  the  depth  in  one  case  is  quite  as 
much,  but  in  the  other  two  about  half  an  inch  less. 
The  cavity  is  scarcely  or  about  two  inches,  with  a  depth 
of  fully  one  and  a  half  inches,  so  deeply  cupped  are  these 
structures.  These  nests  are  stoutly  built  of  slender 
grasses,  rootlets,  and  a  variety  of  bleached  vegetable 
substances  disintegrated  beyond  recognition.  Two  are 
lined  with  very  fine  grass-stems  or  rootlets ;  a  third, 
with  these  and  horse-hairs  ;  one  has  some  bits  of  twine 
worked  into  the  walls,  and  in  another  some  large  feathers, 
apparently  from  the  poultry-yard,  have  been  similarly 
used."  These  nests  were  taken  from  an  oak,  an  elm, 
and  an  ailanthus,  at  heights  from  six  to  eight  feet,  on 
June  14,  17  and  21  ;  one  contained  three,  another  four 
eggs  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  24).  On  the  subject  of 
these  trailli  nests  from  Missouri,  Mr.  Allen  writes  to  Dr. 


EMPIDONAX  TRAILLI  :  TRAILL  S  FLYCATCHER.    39 

Coues  as  follows  :  "  I  could  not  understand  your  com- 
parative diagnoses  of  nests  of  E.  trailli  and  acadicus 
until  Mr.  Brewster  showed  me  a  series  of  nests  of  E. 
trailli  from  Ohio  ;  for  in  New  England  E.  trailli  builds 
an  entirely  different  aest  from  what  it  does  in  Ohio  and 
Missouri.  The  New  England  nests  (Maine,  New  Hamp- 
shire and  Vermont  specimens)  are  scarcely  distinguish- 
able from  the  ordinary  nest  of  Cyanospiza  cyanea,  and 
consequently  suggest  no  comparison  with  the  nest  of 
E.  minimus,  being  bulky  structures  of  coarse  materials, 
which  no  one  would  think  could  belong  to  the  species 
building  the  small,  compact  nests  of  soft  materials  that 
come  to  us  from  Ohio  through  Dr.  J.  M.  Wheaton,  or 
from  Missouri  through  Mr.  Widmann,  such  as  you  de- 
scribe. It  seems  to  me  also  noteworthy  that  E.  trailli 
breeds  in  the  interior  so  much  further  south  than  it  does 
in  the  Atlantic  States ;  though  noted  as  breeding  spar- 
ingly as  far  south  as  Long  Island,  it  rarely  nests 
in  New  England  south  of  the  Canadian  Fauna,  or 
south  of  central  or  northern  Maine,  and  corresponding 
points  in  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire "  (loc.  cit., 
p.  25).* 

A  similar  account  of  the  nesting  of  trailli  in  Maine  is 
given  by  Mr.  Purdie,  who  remarks  upon  the  differences 
observed  in  the  structure  of  the  nest  and  its  situation 
from  such  as  Mr.  Henshaw's  'description  indicates. 
"The  nest,"  he  says,  "is  built  between  the  upright 
shoots  of  low  bushes,  from  one  to  five  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  is  loosely  constructed  of  grasses  throughout, 
including  the  lining.  It  is  a  much  less  compact  nest 

*  Consult  also  Pearsall  and  Bailey,  "  The  Country,"  i,  Apr.  20, 
1878,  p.  371  ;  Purdie,  ibid.,  ii,  Apr.  27,  1878,  p.  9,  and  May  4,  p.  25; 
Forest  and  Stream,  x,  Apr.  25,  1878,  p.  216  ;  May  9,  1878,  p.  255. 


4O  TYRANN1D.E  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

even  than  that  of  the  Indigo  Bird,  though  perhaps 
smaller  in  the  average  "  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  75). 
But  with  whatever  variation  in  degree  of  compactness 
and  in  materials,  the  structure  is  still  always  a  deep  cup 
placed  in  an  upright  fork,  thus  essentially  like  that  of 
minimus,  and  quite  different  from  that  either  of  aca- 
dicus  or  of  a  Wood  Pewee.  The  eggs,  however,  resem- 
ble those  of  the  Pewee,  and  especially  of  the  Acadian 
Flycatcher,  in  being  creamy  white  and  in  being  boldly 
spotted.  The  markings  are  of  different  shades  of  brown, 
chiefly  at  or  about  the  larger  end  of  the  eggs.  The  eggs 
are  three  or  four  in  number,  measuring  about  0.64X0.55. 
The  tendency  in  New  England  seems  to  be  for  the  bird 
to  build  quite  low  down  in  bushes,  rather  than  in 
trees,  and  in  watery  situations,  such  as  alder  thick- 
ets or  their  vicinity.  Mr.  C.  S.  Paine,  who  seems 
to  have  found  many  nests  in  Vermont,  speaks  of 
them  as  placed  in  low  alder  bushes,  three-  or  four  feet 
from  the  ground,  near  running  streams.  According  to 
Mr.  Brewster's  observations  in  New  Hampshire  and 
Maine,  the  bird's  "favorite  haunts  were  the  dense  alder 
thickets  along  the  rivers  and  small  streams,  over  those 
dark  retreats,  perched  on  some  tall  dead  branch,  full  in 
the  rays  of  the  noonday  sun.  The  male  sang  vigorously, 
occasionally  darting  out  after  some  insect,  and  returning 
to  the  same  perch.  His  song  consisted  of  a  single  dis- 
syllabic refrain,  ke'-iving,  uttered  jn  a  harsh,  peevish  tone, 
at  an  interval  of  about  thirty  seconds,  varied  occasionally 
to  ke'-wink  or  ke' -winch.  At  each  utterance  his  head  is 
thrown  upwards  with  a  sudden  jerk.  They  were  retiring, 
but  not  shy ;  were  easily  approached,  and  were  apparently 
not  so  restless  as  most  Flycatchers  "  (Hist.  N.  A.  Birds, 
ii,  1874,  p.  371). 


EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS  :   LEAST  FLYCATCHER.  4! 

LEAST    FLYCATCHER. 
EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS  Bd. 

Chars.  Colors  almost  exactly  as  in  traillij  usually  olive-gray 
rather  than  olive-brown ;  whole  anterior  parts  often  slightly 
ashy  ;  wing-markings,  eye-ring,  and  loral  feathers  plain  grayish- 
white  ;  feet  black  ;  under  mandible  usually  dusky.  Smaller  than 
trailli,  and  not  so  stoutly  built.  Length,  4.80-5.50;  extent, 
7.40-8.30  ;  wing,  2.60  or  less  ;  tail  about  2.25  ;  bill  less  than 
0.50 ;  point  of  wing  reaching  only  about  0.50  beyond  the  sec- 
ondaries. 

In  New  England  at  large  this  little  Flycatcher  is  the 
most  abundant  of  all  the  species,  characteristic  of  no 
special  faunal  area,  but  commonly  and  almost  universally 
distributed.  On  the  whole,  however,  it  is  more  numer- 
ous in  southern  than  in  northern  New  England,  and 
may  be  entirely  wanting  in  some  sections  of  the  latter, 
where  Traill's  and  the  Yellow-bellied  are  the  princi- 
pal representatives.  Compared  with  the  other  three, 
it  is  next  to  the  most  southerly  —  the  Acadian 
scarcely  reaching  our  boundaries,  then  the  Least, 
so  plentiful  to  Massachusetts  and  decreasing  in  num- 
bers northward — then  Traill's,  reversing  the  regions 
of  relative  abundance  —  then  the  Yellow-bellied,  not  yet 
found  breeding  except  in  Maine.  The  Least  Flycatcher 
enters  Connecticut  about  the  first  of  May,  and  soon  be- 
comes abundant  and  generally  dispersed  in  orchards, 
gardens,  parks,  and  even  in  the  heart  of  large  cities,  as 
well  as  in  woodland  anywhere  else,  thus  not  particularly 
affecting  the  swampy  bushy  places  to  which  Traill's 
habitually  resorts.  It  may  be  known  by  circumstances 
of  its  local  distribution,  and  by  its  readily  recognized 


42  TYRANNIC)  :    FLYCATCHERS. 

note,  the  peculiar  chebec',  cadet',  or  sewicfr ',  of  which  the 
various  New  England  writers  speak.  Remaining  through 
the  summer  to  breed,  the  little  bird  migrates  southward 
in  September,  not  entirely  withdrawing  until  about  the 
end  of  that  month. 

The  nests  and  eggs  of  the  Least  Flycatcher  have 
been  described  with  particularity  by  Dr.  Coues,  whose 
account  (Birds  Northwest,  p.  255)  is  transcribed  in  sub- 
stance. The  bird  generally  nests  in  a  sapling  or  shrub, 
ten  or  twelve  feet  from  the  ground, — but  sometimes 
scarcely  more  than  a  man's  height,  and  in  other  in- 
stances up  to  forty  feet.  The  nest  is  placed  in  an  up- 
right crotch  formed  by  two  or  several  twigs  generally 
no  thicker  than  one's  finger.  In  one  case  it  was  on  the 
bending  trunk  of  an  elm,  but  rested,  as  usual,  among  a 
set  of  upright  twigs.  It  is*  very  deeply  let  down  into 
the  crotch,  and  usually  bears  their  deep  impressions. 
The  female  is  so  close  a  sitter,  that  sometimes  she  may 
almost  be  taken  in  hand  before  she  deserts  her  charge ; 
and  then  she  only  flutters  to  a  little  distance  and  moves 
uneasily  about,  uttering  a  low  mournful  note.  The  nest 
is  a  neat  little  structure,  with  a  basis  of  fine  fibrous 
inner  bark  and  decomposed  substance  of  various  weeds, 
matted  with  plant-down  into  a  soft,  warm,  yet  firm  struct- 
ure, finished  internally  with  a  special  lining  of  plant 
down,  confined  with  a  slight  layer  of  horse-hair  or  the 
finest  possible  grass-tops.  The  frame  of  the  nest  is 
well  finished  and  even,  with  circular  disposition  of  the 
fibres  composing  it,  while  the  lining  material  is  inter- 
laced in  all  directions.  These  elegant  structures  vary 
in  size  from  two  and  a  half  inches  across  outside  and 
less  than  two  in  depth,  to  nearly  three  inches  in  both 
these  dimensions.  The  cavity  is  large  for  the  bulk  of 


EMPIDONAX  MINIMUS  I    LEAST  FLYCATCHER.  43 

the  nest.  The  eggs  are  generally  four  in  number,  some- 
times only  three ;  five  were  not  found  in  any  one  of  six 
nests  examined.  The  average  size  of  twenty  specimens 
was  0.65x0.50,  with  0.68x0.52  and  0.59X0.50  as  the 
extremes  of  size  and  shape.  They  are  pure  white,  and 
normally  without  any  markings  whatever ;  but,  as  in  the 
similar  case  of  the  Pewit  Flycatcher,  occasional  eggs  are 
found  to  be  dotted.  A  case  of  this  kind  has  been  in- 
stanced by  Mr.  R.  Hayward,  who  found  a  nest  in  an 
apple  tree  at  Milton,  Mass.,  containing  three  normal 
eggs,  and  one  minutely  dotted  with  reddish-brown,  meas- 
uring 0.63X0.50.  The  identity  of  this  nest  is  vouched 
for  by  Mr.  Brewster :  it  was  "  like  others  of  this  species, 
and  the  bird  had  the  well-known  note  of  chebec"  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  124.) 

The  gradual  influence  of  civilization,  which  may  in 
time  become  as  marked  in  the  case  of  this  species  as  it  has 
in  that  of  the  Pewit,  has  been  noted  by  Dr.  Brewer  with 
reference  to  the  materials  composing  the  nests.  "  Those 
made  on  the  edge  of  woodlands  or  in  remote  orchards 
are  wrought  almost  entirely  of  fine  deciduous  bark, 
hempen  fibres  of  vegetables,  feathers,  dried  fragments 
of  insect  cocoons,  and  other  miscellaneous  materials 
felted  or  impacted  together ;  within  this  is  a  lining  of 
fine  strips  of  vegetable  bark,  woody  fibres,  fine  lichens 
and  soft  downy  feathers.  In  some  the  lining  is  ex- 
clusively of  fine  pine  leaves,  in  others  with  the  seeds  or 
pappus  of  compositaceous  plants.  Those  made  in  the 
vicinity  of  dwellings  indicate  their  neighborhood  by  the 
variety  of  miscellaneous  and  convenient  materials,  such 
as  bits  of  paper,  rags,  cotton,  wool,  and  the  larger  and 
more  conspicuous  feathers  of  the  poultry-yard.  Where 
raw  cotton  was  abundantly  provided,  I  have  known  this 


44  TYRANNISE  I     FLYCATCHERS. 

material,  strengthened  with  a  few  straws  and  woody 
fibres,  with  a  lining  of  feathers,  constitute  the  whole 
substance  of  the  nest."  And  again,  as  to  the  increasing 
sociability  of  the  birds  themselves  :  "  They  are  much 
addicted  to  particular  localities,  and  return  to  the  same 
spot  year  after  year,  if  undisturbed.  A  pair  that  had 
established  their  hunting-grounds  in  an  open  area  north 
of  a  dwelling  in  Roxbury  returned  to  the  same  spot  for 
several  successive  years,  and  would  come  regularly  to 
the  piazza  of  the  house,  where  bits  of  cotton  were  ex- 
posed for  the  benefit  of  such  of  the  whole  feathered  tribe 
as  chose  to  avail  themselves  of  it.  Each  year  they  drew 
nearer  and  nearer  to  the  house,  until  at  last  the  nest 
was  made  in  a  clump  of  honeysuckles  on  a  corner  of  the 
piazza,  whence  they  would  sally  forth  in  quest  of  insects, 
entirely  unmindful  of  the  presence  of  the  family."  (Hist. 
N.  A.  Birds.,  ii,  1874,  p.  373.) 


YELLOW-BELLIED   FLYCATCHER. 

EMPIDONAX  FLAVIVENTRIS  Bd. 

Chars.  Above  olive-green,  clear,  continuous  and  uniform,  as  in 
acadictis ;  below  decidedly  yellow,  bright  and  pure  on  the 
belly,  shaded  with  olive  on  the  breast  and  sides.  Eye-ring, 
wing-markings,  and  under  mandible  yellow ;  feet  black.  Size 
of  trailli  or  rather  less  ;  feet  proportioned  as  in  acadicus ;  bill 
shaped  nearly  as  in  minimus,  but  rather  larger ;  first  quill  usually 
equal  to  sixth. 

The  Yellow-bellied  is  not  so  well-known  in  New  Eng- 
land as  either  of  the  two  foregoing,  though  the  character 
implied  in  the  name  is  very  distinctive  on  comparison  of 


E.  FLAVIVENTRIS  I    YELLOW-BELLIED  FLYCATCHER.       45 

specimens.  It  appears  to  be  rather  uncommon,  is  chiefly 
seen  during  the  migrations,  and  thus  far  is  only  known 
to  breed  in  Maine.  Reaching  Connecticut  about  the 
middle  of  May,  and  to  be  found  there  till  June,  it  passes 
on  to  its  breeding  grounds  and  returns  in  September. 
It  doubtless  withdraws  entirely,* as  a  rule,  during  that 
month,  notwithstanding  that  specimens  have  been  taken 
at  dates  so  irregular  as  November  29  and  December  I 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  101).  Mr.  C.  J.  Maynard 
has  apparently  had  more  experience  with  the  species 
than  most  observers  have  enjoyed.  In  his  catalogue  of 
Massachusetts  birds  he  speaks  of  taking  a  dozen  from 
May  31  to  June  10,  1869,  eight  of  them  in  a  few  hours 
on  June  i.  "I  do  not  doubt,"  he  says,  "that  it  has  oc- 
curred in  previous  seasons,  but,  being  unaccustomed  to 
its  low  note,  —  which  is  like  the  syllable  pea,  very  plain- 
tively and  prolongedly  given,  —  and  its  retiring  habits, 
I  had  not  detected  it  before.  The  specimens  captured 
were  all, —  with  the  exception  of  the  first,  which  was  shot 
in  a  tall  oak,  —  taken  in  low  swampy  thickets."  In 
another  place  he  adds  that  he  found  the  bird  in  dark 
swamps  at  Upton,  in  Maine,  where  for  the  first  time  he 
heard  any  other  note  than  the  low  pea ;  it  was  like  the 
syllables  Jeillic,  very  gravely  given,  with  a  long  interval 
between  each  utterance,  and  much  less  energetic  than 
the  corresponding  note  of  E.  trailli.  Mr.  Purdie  endorses 
the  fact  that  this  kil-lic  note  is  not  at  all  like  the  sound 
of  Traill's  voice,  but  nearer  that  of  the  Least  Flycatcher. 
"The  pea"  he  continues,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor, 
"which  I  consider  to  be  the  song  of  the  species,  is 
given  in  the  style  of  the  Wood  Pewee,  but  is  much 
fainter,  and  in  one  syllable  instead  of  two  or  three, 
and  repeated  several  times."  Although  during  the 


46  TYRANNID^  :    FLYCATCHERS. 

migration  the  birds  may  be  dispersed  in  high  or  mixed 
woods,  their  preference  for  swamps  becomes  evident 
when  we  know  their  breeding  habits,  which  may  now 
engage  our  particular  attention. 

It  has  proved  no  easy  task  to  disentangle  the  history 
of  this  species  from  that  of  its  two  nearest  relatives,  con- 
sidering the  conflicting  or  erroneous  accounts  which  have 
crept  into  the  books,  resulting  from  wrong  identification 
of  nests  or  other  mistakes.  Thanks  to  several  active 
and  successful  New  England  observers,  the  doubt  has 
been  dispelled,  and  the  nest  and  eggs  of  flaviventris 
should  be  as  recognizable  as  those  of  any  other  species. 
One  of  the  most  satisfactory  accounts,  which  may  be 
transcribed  in  part,  is  that  given  by  Mr.  Purdie  in  the 
Nuttall  Bulletin  for  October,  1878,  p.  166.  Remarking  that 
Dr.  Brewer,  and,  following  him,  Dr.  Coues,  had  described 
the  eggs  as  white,  unmarked,  he  notes  his  experiences 
with  the  bird  at  Houlton,  Me.  "  Mr.  Bradbury  informed 
us  that  he  had  found,  on  June  15,  a  nest  unknown  to 
him,  with  one  egg.  On  the  i8th  he  conducted  us  to  the 
edge  of  a  wooded  swamp,  and  pointing  to  the  roots  of 
an  upturned  tree,  said  the  nest  was  there.  We  ap- 
proached cautiously  and  soon  saw  the  structure,  and 
then  the  sitting  bird,  which  appeared  to  be  sunken  in  a 
ball  of  green  moss.  Our  eager  eyes  were  within  two 
feet  of  her,  thus  easily  identifying  the  species,  when  she 
darted  off ;  but,  to  make  doubly  sure,  Mr.  Deane  shot 
her.  There  was  no  mistake ;  we  at  last  had  a  genuine 
nest  and  eggs  of  the  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher.  A  large 
dwelling  it  was  for  so  small  and  trim  a  bird.  Built  in 
and  on  to  the  black  mud  clinging  to  the  roots,  but  two 
feet  from  the  ground,  the  bulk  of  the  nest  was  composed 
of  dry  moss,  while  the  outside  was  faced  with  beautiful 


E.  FLAVIVENTRIS  I    YELLOW-BELLIED  FLYCATCHER.       47 

fresh  green  mosses,  thickest  around  the  rim  or  parapet. 
The  home  of  the  Bridge  Pewee  (Sayornis  fusciis]  was  at 
once  suggested.  But  no  mud  entered  into  the  actual 
composition  of  the  nest,  though  at  first  we  thought  so, 
so  much  was  clinging  to  it  when  removed.  The  lining 
was  mainly  of  fine  black  rootlets,  with  a  few  pine-needles 
and  grass-stems.  The  nest  gives  the  following  measure- 
ments :  depth  inside  one  and  a  half  inches  ;  depth  outside 
four  and  a  quarter  inches  ;  circumference,  inside,  seven  and 
a  quarter  inches.  The  eggs,  four  in  number,  were  per- 
fectly fresh,  rounded  oval  in  shape,  and  of  a  beautiful 
rosy-white  tint,  well  spotted  with  a  light  reddish  shade 
of  brown." 

Mr.  S.  D.  Osborne  soon  supplemented  this  excellent 
account  (ibid.,  p.  187):  "On  Monday,  June  10,  1878, 
while  collecting  in  company  with  Mr.  R.  F.  Pearsall,  on 
the  island  of  Grand  Menan,  I  flushed  a  Yellow-bellied 
Flycatcher,  which  seemed  to  come  from  directly  under 
my  feet.  The  locality  was  a  good-sized  hummock  of 
moss,  in  swampy  ground  at  the  edge  of  some  low  woods. 
For  some  time  I  was  unable  to  find  any  signs  of  a  nest, 
but  finally  I  discovered  a  small  hole  one  and  a  half  inches 
in  diameter  in  the  side  of  the  hummock,  and  on  enlarg- 
ing this  opening  the  nest,  with  four  eggs,  lay  before  me. 
The  bird,  which  had  all  the  time  been  hopping  around 
within  a  few  feet  of  our  heads,  was  at  once  shot.  The 
cavity  extended  in  about  two  inches,  was  about  four 
inches  in  depth,  and  was  lined  with  a  very  few  grasses, 
black  hair-like  roots,  and  skins  of  berries.  The  eggs, 
four  in  number,  are  white,  with  a  very  delicate  creamy 
tint,  which  differed  in  its  intensity  in  different  specimens, 
and  are  spotted,  mostly  at  the  larger  end,  with  a  few 
dots  and  blotches  of  a  light  reddish  shade."  About  a  year 


48  TYRANNID^E  :  FLYCATCHERS. 

later  Mr.  Osborne  discovered  another  nest  in  Oxford 
County,  Me.,  in  a  similar  situation,  with  four  eggs  well 
advanced  in  incubation  on  the  i8th  of  June.  "The  nest 
was  built  in  the  side  of  a  hummock  of  moss,  under  the 
roots  of  a  small  tree,  and  was  only  about  half  covered 
over,  the  eggs  being  clearly  visible  from  the  outside." 
The  eggs  were  also  spotted.  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv.,  Oct. 
1879,  p.  240.) 

To  place  this  matter  of  the  lowly  nesting  and  spotted 
eggs  of  the  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher,  by  which  it  differs 
somewhat  from  all  its  eastern  congeners,  beyond  all 
doubt  for  the  future,  I  will  sum  the  observations  of  a 
third  independent  observer  who  himself  took  two  nests, 
making  five  in  all  here  described.  Mr.  C.  F.  Batchelder's 
first  nest  was  taken  June  I4th,  1879,  at  Fort  Fairfield, 
Me.,  in  wet  mixed  woods.  It  was  placed  on  the  edge 
of  a  bank  formed  by  a  decayed  tree  trunk,  over  a  pool, 
protected  from  view  by  some  green  moss  growing  upon 
a  projecting  root,  and  partly  sunken  in  the  surrounding 
moss.  The  materials  were  fine  brown  roots,  bits  of 
rotten  wood,  the  scaly  coverings  of  buds,  apparently  of 
the  arbor  vitae,  together  with  a  few  sticks  and  withered 
leaves,  and  one  or  two  bits  of  arbor  vitae  and  green 
moss  ;  with  fine  black  rootlets  and  withered  grasses  for 
lining.  The  outer  diameter  was  four  inches,  the  inner 
two  and  three  eighths,  with  an  outer  depth  of  two  and  a 
quarter,  and  cavity  one  and  a  quarter  deep.  The  four 
eggs  were  white,  with  a  slight  creamy  tinge,  spotted  and 
blotched  with  two  shades  of  light  reddish-brown,  mostly 
about  the  larger  end  ;  two  of  the  eggs  also  having  a  few 
fine  dashes  and  specks  of  black  over  the  other  markings. 
These  four  measured  0.68x0.52;  0.68x0.52;  o.66x 
0.51;  0.66x0.51.  The  other  nest,  found  June  27, 


E.  FLAVIVENTRIS  :    YELLOW-BELLIED  FLYCATCHER.       49 

among  a  tangle  of  fallen  trees,  was  situated  about  two 
feet  from  the  ground  on  the  side  of  a  moss-covered 
stump,  deeply  sunken  in  the  soft  green  moss,  which 
covered  it  above,  though  the  eggs  were  visible  from  the 
outside.  It  was  a  bulky,  compact  mass  of  the  same  moss, 
with  a  few  bits  of  arbor  vitae  and  one  <3r  two  sticks,  thinly 
lined  with  grass-stems  and  rootlets ;  its  outer  diameter 
four  and  a  quarter,  depth  four;  inner  diameter  two, 
depth  one  and  a  half.  The  four  nearly  fresh  eggs  were 
precisely  like  those  just  described  in  ground-color  and 
markings,  but  ran  a  trifle  larger,  the  extremes  being 
0.67X0.51  to  0.70X0.54.  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879, 
p.  241.) 

It  may  be  added  that  a  sixth  nest,  taken  by  Mr.  N.  A. 
Eddy  on  an  island  in  Penobscot  Bay,  June  13,  1880 
was  similarly  circumstanced,  and  the  eggs  were  not  dif- 
ferent from  those  described  above,  though  ranging  a  little 
less  in  size  —  not  over  0.65X0.51.  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 
v,  1880,  p.  241.) 


5<D      CAPRIMULGID^E  :    WH1PPOORWILLS  ;    NIGHT-HAWKS. 


FAMILY  CAPRIMULGIDyE.    WHIPPOOR- 
WILLS  AND  NIGHT-HAWKS. 


WHIPPOORWILL. 
ANTROSTOMUS  VOCIFERUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Mouth  cleft  to  below  the  eyes,  with  minute  horny  part  of 
the  bill,  and  long  bristles  on  each  side.  Feet  very  short  and 
weak,  unfitted  for  perching  in  the  usual  way.  Inner  edge  of  the 
middle  claw  dilated  and  comb-like.  Wings  little  longer  than  the 
broad  rounded  tail  ;  plumage  very  soft  and  lax,  like  an  owl's, 
with  blended  and  varied  coloration :  prevailing  tone  gray,  varie- 
gated with  black,  white  and  tawny,  in  small  streaky  pattern  or 
delicate  marbling ;  lateral  tail  feathers  tipped  with  white  or 
tawny ;  a  white  or  tawny  collar  on  the  throat.  Length  about 
9.50;  extent,  18.50;  wing,  5.50;  tail,  4.50;  hind  toe  short,  in- 
serted above  the  level  of  the  rest,  not  directly  posterior ;  front 
toes  with  movable  webbing  at  base ;  outer  toe  with  only  four 
joints,  instead  of  five,  as  usual  in  birds. 

The  Whippoorwill,  belonging  to  a  family  peculiar  in 
many  important  respects,  and  of  such  singular  habits  and 
general  appearance  that  superstitions  no  less  dismal 
than  ridiculous  have  attached  to  its  mysterious  manners, 
is  a  common  summer  resident  throughout  New  England, 
arriving  early  in  May,  and  becoming  dispersed  in  suitable 
situations  in  the  course  of  that  month.  The  bird  is  noc- 
turnal in  habits,  and  keeps  so  closely  concealed  in  the 
day  time  that  it  is  much  oftener  heard  than  seen,  as  par- 
ticularly when,  the  twilight  deepening  and  lengthening 
shadows  merging  in  the  growing  gloom,  its  strange  cry 
rings  out  with  startling  effect  from  no  one  knows  where. 


ANTROSTOMUS    VOCIFERUS  :    WHIPPOORWILL.  51 

The  bird  may  be  in  the  brush  where  it  has  hidden  during 
the  hours  of  light,  or,  on  pinion  as  noiseless  as  that 
of  an  owl,  it  may  have  stolen  close  to  the  house  —  so 
close  that  the  queer  clicking  sound  which  precedes  its 
lugubrious  salute  may  be  distinctly  heard.  It  may  even 
drop  unperceived  upon  the  house-top,  and  cry  out  with 
sudden  vehemence  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  perhaps 
sending  a  shiver  through  those  persons  whose  nervous 
organization  is  susceptible  of  impressions  ominous  or 
superstitious.  Though  wrong  conclusions  may  be  cor- 
rected by  observation  and  experience — those  unanswer- 
able pleaders  in 
the  court  of  na- 
ture to  which  all 
cases  of  the  kind 
must  be  finally 
referred  without 
possible  appeal 

it    Should    not    '  FIG.  4.  —  WHIPPOORWILL. 

lessen  our  interest  in  the  birds  capable  of  such  weird 
effects;  but  rather  awaken  new  and  more  intelligent 
cognitions  of  the  beauty  and  harmony  which  nature's 
every  handiwork  displays.  No  bird  is  more  perfectly 
adapted  to  the  part  sustained  in  animated  nature 
than  the  Whippoorwill,  and  not  one  can  be  presumed 
to  more  thoroughly  enjoy  life.  It  has  a  number  of 
amiable  and  admirable  traits,  among  which  are  its 
parental  affection  and  devotion,  and  its  conjugal  fidelity. 
Though  the  young  birds  hatch  covered  with  down,  and 
thus  like  chickens  or  sandpipers,  which  are  able  to  run 
about  and  feed  themselves  at  birth,  they  are  nevertheless 
as  weak  and  helpless  as  the  naked  occupants  of  a  spar- 
row's nest,  requiring  assiduous  attention  on  the  part  of 


52     CAPRIMULGIM:  :  WHIPPOORWILLS  ;  NIGHT-HAWKS. 

the  parents.  We  cannot  endorse  Mr.  Minot's  statement 
that  they  "  run  about  much  like  young  partridges." 
Only  an  apology  for  a  nest  is  constructed  —  a  slight 
hollow  in  the  mould  of  a  fallen  log  or  stump,  or  on  the 
ground  among  fallen  leaves.  The  eggs  are  only 
two,  this  being  the  usual  number  laid  by  birds  of 
this  family.  They  are  elliptical,  and  of  delicately 
marbled  and  clouded  coloration,  like  the  plumage  of 
the  birds  themselves.  They  measure  about  I.25X 
0.85  of  an  inch,  and  are  usually  laid  early  in  June, 
when  the  birds  are  in  full  cry.  The  clamor  continues 
during  the  breeding  season  proper,  after  which  the  cry 
is  seldom  if  ever  heard;  and  this  being  the  princi- 
pal indication  of  the  birds'  presence,  it  is  difficult  to  say 
at  what  precise  time  they  depart,  so  silently  and  furtively 
do  they  slip  away  from  our  midst.  The  migration,  how- 
ever, is  probably  accomplished  in  September.  Like  the 
rest  of  this  family,  the .  Whippoorwill  is  insectivorous ; 
and  numberless  are  the  crepuscular  and  nocturnal  insects 
which  fall  into  its  capacious  mouth,  as  into  the  wide  open 
jaws  of  a  trap  beset  with  stiff  bristles  to  control  the 
struggles  of  the  bird's  unhappy  victims. 


NIGHT-HAWK   OR   BULL-BAT. 

CHORDEDILES  POPETUE  (V.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Similar  in  general  to  a  Whippoorwill ;  no  long  bristles 
about  mouth.  Wings  long  and  pointed,  much  exceeding  the 
forked  tail ;  plumage  more  smooth  and  compact.  Upper  parts 
blackish,  mottled  with  brown,  gray  and  tawny ;  under  parts  from 
the  breast  white,  barred  crosswise  with  blackish  and  tawny. 
Throat  with  a  crescentic  bar,  white  in  the  male,  tawny  in  the 


CHORDEDILES  POPETUE  I  NIGHT-HAWK  OR  BULL-BAT.      53 

female.  Tail  blackish,  marbled  with  several  pale  cross-bars,  and 
in  the  male  with  large  white  spaces  near  the  ends  of  the  feathers. 
Long  quills  of  the  wing  blackish,  with  a  great  white  spot  on  five 
outer  primaries  midway  between  their  bases  and  tips  ;  in  the 
female  this  mark  smaller  or  not  pure  white.  Length  about  9.00  ; 
extent,  22.00 ;  wing,  8.00  ;  tail,  5.00  ;  bill  about  0.25  in  its  hard 
part,  but  with  immense  gape  reaching  below  the  eyes. 

This  remarkable  bird  is  a  common  summer  resident 
in  New  England,  arriving  early  in  May,  and  departing 
in  September.  It  is  confined  to 
no  section,  but  may  be  observed 
anywhere  in  the  twilight  and 
also  at  any  time  during  the  day, 
especially  in  cloudy  weather, 
coursing  with  splendid  powers 
of  flight  overhead  like  a  winged 
greyhound  in  endless  evolu- 
tions. Sometimes  it  soars  till 
it  becomes  but  a  speck  to  the 
view,  and  again  skims  swiftly 
low  over  the  ground  —  now 
dashing  impetuously  forward, 
now  sailing  with  easy  bold 
sweeps  of  the  pointed  pinions,  FIG.  5.- NIGHT-HAWK. 
arresting  its  course  for  a  moment  and  then  twist- 
ing and  glancing  with  almost  inconceivable  velocity  in 
its  seemingly  random  race.  But  all  this  while  the  way- 
ward bird  is  providently  gleaning  its  food  from  the  air ; 
these  forays  are  made  with  an  eye  strictly  to  business, 
for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  tiny  gauzy  creatures 
which  swim  in  the  rays  of  the  departing  sun ;  and  in 
contemplating  such  adaptation  of  perfect  grace  to  utili- 
tarian purposes,  we  are  taught  the  lesson  that  nature 


54     CAPRIMULGIM:  :  WHIPPOORWILLS  ;  NIGHT-HAWKS. 

bends  the  most  diverse  means  to  her  useful  ends.  In 
the  spring-time,  during  the  period  de  noces,  the  Night- 
hawk  repeatedly  plunges  head  foremost  downward  with 
fearful  velocity,  accompanying  this  startling  tour  deforce 
with  a  strange  booming  sound,  likened  by  some  to  the 
distant  bellowing  of  a  bull,  by  others  to  the  noise  made 
by  blowing  in  the  bung-hole  of  an  empty  barrel. 

About  the  first  of  June,  the  singular  incidents  of  the 
courtship  over,  the  Night-hawk  deposits  her  two  eggs 
upon  the  cold  bare  ground,  scarcely  a  trace  of  a  nest 
being  formed  to  receive  her  treasured  charge.  The  eggs 
are  also  frequently  laid  on  bare  rocks,  and  even  the  flat 
concreted  roofs  of  houses  in  large  cities,  where  the  heat 
of  the  sun  helps  to  incubate  them,  as  it  does  those  of 
terns  and  sandpipers,  while  the  birds  are  flying  about 
in  broad  daylight.  The  eggs  are  elliptical  in  contour, 
averaging  in  size  1.25x0.85,  and  are  curiously  fretted, 
veined  and  marbled  with  lavender,  stone-gray  and  neu- 
tral tints.  She  is  a  faithful  and  courageous  mother, 
who,  when  danger  threatens,  will  at  risk  of  life  feign 
to  be  crippled,  and  endeavor  to  divert  attention 
from  her  eggs  to  herself  by  fluttering  and  tumbling 
about  as  long  as  such  pious  fraud  seems  likely  to  suc- 
ceed —  then  quartering  anxiously  back  and  forth 
within  a  few  feet  of  one  who  may  be  bending  over  the 
frail  orbic  bodies  that  encase  her  hopes.  "  The  nest- 
lings are  hatched  downy.  This  is  a  singular  circum- 
stance, in  which  the  Caprimulgida  resemble  the  lower 
orders  of  birds,  and  not  the  higher  groups  with  which 
they  are  associated.  The  chicks  are  not,  however, 
hatched  entirely  clothed  ;  for  the  first  two  or  three  days 
they  are  only  densely  flocculent  on  the  under  parts,  the 
upper  being  but  sparsely  downy ;  soon,  however,  they 


CHORDEDILES  POPETUE  :  NIGHT-HAWK  OR  BULL-BAT.      55 

are  uniformly  covered  with  down,  variegated  above,  plain 
below.     The  design  of  this  provision  is  evidently  pro- 
tection from  the  damp  ground  on  which  the  young  rest. 
In  the  several  instances  of  nesting  I  have  found,  there 
was  nothing  whatever  between  the  birds  and  the  earth  ; 
but  occasionally,  it  is  said,  a  few  leaves  or  straws  lie 
underneath  them.    A  favorite  nesting-place,  in  the  West, 
is  the  little  mounds    of   loose  soil   thrown  up  by  the 
gophers,  either  in  open  fields,  or  by  the  edge  of  woods. 
The  birds  are  also  said  to  lay  on  the  mould  of  stumps 
and  logs,  but  I  have  never  found  eggs  in  such  situations. 
One  of  the  two  eggs  may  be  hatched  sooner  than  the 
other ;  in  one  instance  I  found  an  interval  of  three  days 
to,  elapse,  during  which  I  frequently  visited  a  nesting 
place.     The  female,  on  each  occasion,  remained  near 
her  charge  until  nearly  trodden  upon,  and  then  fluttered 
off,  making  believe  she  was  crippled,  as  perfectly  as  I 
ever  saw  the  pious  fraud  performed  in  my  life.     Not 
having  much,  if  any,  legs  to  be  lame  in,  she  simulated  a 
broken  wing,  fluttering  and  pitching  about  in  the  grass, 
at  no  time  more  than  a  few  feet  off.     The  statement 
that  the  bird  will  remove  her  young,  if  disturbed,  is  true. 
The  bird  I  am  alluding  to  carried  them  to  another  hillock, 
after  my  second  visit,  but  only  a  couple  of  yards  away." 
Late  in  the  summer,  when  all  the  birds  are  on  wing, 
great  troops  of  Night-hawks  collect  together,  and  may  be 
seen  coursing  in  the  manner  above  described,  crossing 
and  recrossing  each  other's  path  in  the  air,  until  it  be- 
comes too  dark  to  trace  their  flight  any  longer.    As  soon 
as  the  gnats  and  midgets  disappear  with  the  cool  weather 
of  September,  their  insatiable  pursuers  bend  strong  wings 
to  the  southward  journey. 


56  CYPSELID.E  I    SWIFTS. 

FAMILY  CYPSELID^:  SWIFTS. 

CHIMNEY   SWIFT. 

CHJETURA  PELASGICA  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  General  color  sooty-brown,  with  a  faint  greenish  gloss 
above;  grayish-brown  below,  becoming  paler  on  the  throat; 
wings  black.  Length,  5.00-5.25  ;  extent,  12.50  ;  wing,  4.75-5.00  ; 
tail,  2.00  or  less,  with  spine-like  tips  of  the  feathers. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  modifications  of  bird- 
structure  is  that  by  which  the  Swifts,  belonging  to  .an 
order  of  birds  entirely  different  from  Swallows  in  es- 
sential points  of  structure,  are  moulded  to  an  exterior 
shape  so  closely  simulating  the  form  of  a  Swallow,  that 
most  persons  believe  them  to  be  of  that  kind  of  bird : 
and  "  swallows"  they  are  almost  universally  called.  The 
resemblance  is  indeed  striking;  but  it  only  illustrates 
how  cunningly  nature,  in  some  sportive  mood,  furnishes 
similitudes  in  her  endless  diversity  —  no  less  easily  than 
she  fashions  a  wealth  of  diversity  from  essential  unity. 
Humor  has  been  defined  as  a  perception  of  grotesque 
resemblance  between  incongruous  things,  and  Swifts  are 
amongst  numberless  conundrums  which  nature  pro- 
pounds through  her  feathered  creations.  "Why  is  a 
Swift  like  a  Swallow  ?"  I  give  it  up  —  and  I  doubt  that 
any  one  can  answer  the  question. 

The  most  remarkable  thing  about  the  exterior  con- 
formation of  the  Swift  is  the  spines  which  project  from 
the  ends  of  the  tail-feathers,  and  serve  as  props  to  stay 
the  bird  while  clinging  with  its  sharp  claws  to  the  verti- 


CH;ETURA    PELASGICA  :     CHIMNEY    SWIFT. 


57 


cal  walls  of  a  chimney  or  hollow  tree.  In  former  times, 
before  the  country  was  settled,  the  birds  roosted  and 
builded  in  hollows  of  trees,  to  which  they  resorted  in 
thousands  sometimes  —  a  steady  stream  of  the  creatures 
pouring  in  at  dusk  to  pass  the  night.  Some  such  trees 
have  become  historic  as  "  swallow-trees,"  frequented  year 
after  year  by  countless  numbers,  till  the  bottom  became 
filled  with  a  mass  of  debris.  Now,  like  Swallows,  they 
have  modified  their  primitive  way,  and  almost  always 
choose  to  make  their  nests  in  chimneys,  —  whence  their 
name,  —  though  too  often  exposed  in  such  situations  to 
disaster  by  fire  and  flood  ; 
as  when  a  soaking  rain 
loosens  the  mucilaginous 
fastening  of  the  nest,  and 
the  whole  comes  tumbling 
down.  The  "  frying-pan  " 
out  of  which  the  little 
birds  sometimes  fall  "  into 
the  fire,"  is  one  of  the 
most  curious  of  all  speci- 
mens of  bird  architecture.  It  consists  of  a  basket-work 
of  bits  of  twigs,  glued  together  and  to  the  side  of  the 
chimney  with  the  sticky  saliva  of  the  birds  —  the  same 
substance  that  in  other  cases,  as  those  of  the  species  of 
the  East  Indian  genus  Collocalia,  forms  the  famous 
"edible  bird's-nests"  used  for  making  soup  by  the  celes- 
tial heathens.  The  twigs  are  gathered  in  the  most  .skil- 
ful manner  by  the  birds,  who  dash  past  the  ends  of 
branches  and  snap  off  bits  with  the  beak  as  quick  as 
thought  J  The  completed  basket  has  a  semicircular  brim, 
and  shallow  cavity,  in  which  are  laid  four  or  five  pure 
white,  narrowly  elMptical  eggs,  about  0.70  in  length  by 


FIG.  6.  —  CHIMNEY  SWIFT,  with 
mucronate  rectrix. 


58  CYPSELIDjE  :    SWIFTS. 

0.50  in  breadth.  In  the  North  woods  the  nests  are  still 
often  constructed  in  hollow  trees,  as  well  as  in  barns  and 
sheds  in  the  sparsely  settled  districts. 

The  Swifts  reach  New  England  betimes  in  spring, 
some  seasons  by  the  middle  of  April,  and  again  not  till 
May,  remaining  through  the  greater  part  of  September. 
Were  it  not  that,  being  so  abundant  and  so  universally 
distributed,  they  lack  the  charm  of  novelty,  they  could 
not  but  excite  wonder  and  admiration,  so  splendid  are 
the  powers  of  wing  of  these  sombre-hued  little  creatures, 
so  graceful  and  varied  are  their  aerial  excursions,  so  joy- 
ous and  spontaneous  their  ceaseless  twittering.  They 
have  a  rare  genius  for  flying,  and  do  well  to  trust  them- 
selves utterly  to  its  promptings  —  the  keen-bladed,  sharp- 
pointed  wing  never  fails  of  its  stroke,  though  cutting  a 
substance  far  more  tenuous  than  the  silken  fabric  which 
tested  the  temper  of  Damascus'  steel  —  not  even  when 
a  pair,  sailing  for  many  rods  in  close  convoy,  suddenly 
meet  with  "the  touch  of  the  body  electric,"  as  Whitman 
says  in  one  of  his  realistic  poems,  and  as  speedily  part 
again,  recovering  their  way  with  marvellous  dexterity. 
It  is  a  pretty  sight,  again,  to  see  the  Swift  hover  for  a 
moment  over  the  chimney,  then  set  the  wings  at  an  up- 
ward angle  and  drop  lightly  as  a  parachute  down  upon 
the  nest  within  the  smoky  orifice.  So  the  summer  passes 
with  these  most  airy  of  birds,  in  never  ending  cycles 
and  epicycles,  spirals,  scrolls  and  nameless  gyrations 
round  the  chosen  nesting-place,  till  the  coils  are  loosened, 
the  circles  widen  like  the  waves  of  a  pool  disturbed  by 
the  falling  stone,  and  the  last  curve  straightens  into 
southward  line. 


T.  COLUBRIS  :    RUBY-THROATED    HUMMING-BIRD.          59 


FAMILY  TROCHILID^E;  HUMMING-BIRDS. 

RUBY-THROATED    HUMMING-BIRD. 
TROCHILUS  COLUBRIS  L. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  golden-green ;  below  white,  with  green  sides  ; 
a  metallic  gorget  on  the  throat,  reflecting  rich  ruby-red ;  wings 
and  tail  dusky-purplish,  the  latter  forked,  with  narrow,  pointed 
feathers.  Female  similar,  lacking  the  gorget ;  tail  black-barred, 
with  some  feathers  white-tipped.  Length  of  male,  3.25  ;  wing, 
1.66  ;  tail,  1.25  ;  bill  0.66.  Female  smaller. 

These  jewelled  feathers  are  so  precious  that  with  all 
the  boundless  wealth  of  nature  economy  must  be  prac- 
tised in  the  use  of  such  materials ;  which  is  one  reason 
why  the  Humming-bird  is  so  diminutive  a  creature.  It 
is  found  throughout  New  England  in  summer ;  for,  al- 
though so  delicate  in  physique  that  a  cobweb  may  en- 
snare the  tiny  creature  and  even  cause  its  death,  the 
Hummer  is  full  of  spirit  and  fire,  and  goes  well,  like  a 
lady's  watch,  unless  some  touch  too  rude  should  interfere 
with  the  movements  of  so  exquisite  a  mechanism.  The 
adjustment  of  its  vital  forces  is  delicate  in  the  extreme, 
and  so  subtile  is  the  play  of  parts,  that  even  emotion, 
such  as  terror,  or  dismay,  or  anger,  may  destroy  life ; 
yet,  so  long  as  the  creature  has  its  freedom  to  act,  and 
its  right  to  happiness,  no  braver  bird  flies.  Fancy  a 
Humming-bird  attacking  a  man  in  defence  of  its  nest ! 
Yet  it  never  hesitates  to  engage  the  giant  like  a  very 
king  of  Lilliput,  buzzing  about  as  mad  as  a  hornet,  and 
making  furious  if  futile  thrusts  with  its  rapier-like  bill. 


6O  TROCHILIDjE  :    HUMMING-BIRDS. 

Then  again,  many  and  long  are  the  tournaments  between 
rival  males  inflamed  with  jealousy  and  passion,  while  the 
little  bodies  for  whom  the  war  is  waged  amuse  them- 
selves demurely  with  sunbeams  and  flowers. 

Though  New  England  is  far  from  the  lands  where 
Trochilidce  are  assembled  in  endless  variety  and  beauty, 
the  single  species  which  visits  us  is  so  common,  that  it 
is  no  remarkable  thing  to  see  a  perfect  galaxy  "  starring" 
on  some  flowery  stage,  attracted  by  the  sweets  which 
the  nectaries  of  the  blossoms  distil,  the  same  that  make 
myriads  of  minute  insects  flock  to  a  dainty  feast.  Poised 
on  wings  so  rapidly  whirred  that  they  leave  to  the  eye 
but  a  filmy  outline,  and  make  the  bird  seem  suspended 
in  the  air  by  invisible  spirit-power,  the  Hummer  explores 
the  heart  of  the  flower ;  now  spearing  his  insect  prey 
with  his  sharp  slender  beak ;  now  sucking  the  sweets 
through  his  tubular  tongue,  curiously  fashioned  into  a 
sort  of  syphon.  Darting  from  one  flower  to  another  too 
rapidly  for  the  eye  to  follow  the  movements,  —  and  with 
the  humming  sound  which  has  given  the  whole  tribe  a 
name,  —  Colubris  repeats  the  probing  process  till  his 
hunger  is  satisfied,  and  then  repairs  to  some  favorite 
perch,  near  which  probably  the  nest  is  placed.  This,  as 
many  writers  have  remarked  of  late  with  less  originality 
than  appreciation,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  objects 
in  nature.  "What  enlightened  person,"  indeed,  "can 
gaze  upon  this  nest  without  regretting  that  man  should 
in  the  progress  of  civilization  so  often  forget  Nature, 
fail  to  appreciate  her,  or  even  wrong  her?"  The  fabric 
is  placed  upon  a  bough  large  enough  for  it  to  rest 
securely,  or  in  the  forking  of  a  twig  —  oftenest  upon 
some  such  horizontal  support,  but  sometimes  fastened  to 
the  side  of  more  upright  growths.  The  cavity  only  about 


T.  COLUBRIS  !    RUBY-THROATED    HUMMING-BIRD.        6l 

admits  the  end  of  one's  thumb,  but  the  walls  are  thick, 
so  that  the  entire  structure  is  about  as  large  as  one  of 
the  cups  of  a  child's  play  "tea-set."  The  fabric  is  felted 
with  a  mass  of  exquisitely  soft  cottony,  silky,  or  woolly 
substances,  such  as  plant-down  and  the  like,  but  with 
very  little  coarser  fibrous  material,  if  any.  Outside  the 
finish  is  simply  perfect,  being  a  fresco  of  lichens.  The 
eggs  are  never  more  than  two  in  number ;  they  are  pure 
white  in  color,  with  a  pink  blush  when  fresh.  The  shape 
is  rather  elliptical  than  oval,  and  the  size  scarcely  half 
an  inch  in  the  long  axis  by  about  one-third  in  the  conju- 
gate diameter. 

Some  may  have  thoughtlessly  believed  the  charac- 
teristic sound  emitted  by  the  Humming-bird,  from 
which  the  name  is  derived,  to  be  the  voice  of  the  bird. 
But  it  is  never  heard  when  the  creature  is  at  rest,  and 
is  not  vocal,  but  mechanical,  resulting  from  the  rapid 
vibrations  of  the  wings,  like  the  buzzing  of  bees  and 
many  other  insects.  The  sharp  squeaky  voice  is  very 
different,  and  not  ordinarily  emitted;  but  is  uttered 
with  great  vehemence  and  volubility  in  moments  of  ex- 
citement, as  when  the  nest  is  threatened,  when  the 
courtship  grows  animated,  or  when  the  battle-cry  is 
sounded  to  a  hated  rival. 


62  ALCEDINID^:  I    KINGFISHERS. 


FAMILY  ALCEDINID^:  KINGFISHERS. 

BELTED    KINGFISHER 
CERYLE  ALCYON  (L.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Head  with  a  long,  thin,  pointed  crest ;  plumage  compact  and 
oily ;  feet  extremely  small,  with  syndactyle  toes  ;  tibiae  naked 
below.  Male :  upper  parts,  a  broad  bar  across  the  breast,  and 
sides  under  the  wings,  dull  blue  with  black  shaft  lines  ;  two  spots 
around  eye,  and  under  parts,  except  breast  and  sides,  white. 
Female :  with  a  band  of  chestnut  across  the  lower  breast,  ex- 
tending along  the  sides.  In  both  sexes  the  quills  and  tail-feath- 
ers black,  marked  with  white  on  the  inner  webs  ;  outer  webs  of 
secondaries  and  tail-feathers  like  the  back  ;  wing-coverts  usually 
spotted  with  white  ;  bill  black,  pale  at  base  below.  Length, 
12.00-13.00;  extent,  22.00;  wing,  about  6.00;  tail,  3.50;  bill, 
about  2.00. 

The  "King's  fisher,"  who  takes  his  tribute  from  the 
streams,  be  they  never  so  well  guarded  from  ordinary 
poachers,  is  a  common  bird  of  New  England,  and  resi- 
dent, or  only  forced  southward  by  the  freezing  of  the 
waters  upon  which  his  resources  depend.  But  the  bird 
partakes  the  character  of  a  migrant  and  summer  visitor, 
as  many  pairs  enter  the  country  in  March  from  the  south, 
and  remain  until  the  following  November.  Being  strong 
of  wing,  it  may  be  observed  at  times  flying  high  over 
terra  firma  and  far  away  from  the  liquid  element ;  but 
its  permanent  abode  is  seldom  at  any  distance  from  its 
feeding  grounds.  The  mill-pond  where  the  running 
stream  has  been  dammed  to  stillness  —  the  running 
stream  that  cuts  its  way  through  gravelly  banks,  are 


CERYLE  ALCYON  :  BELTED  KINGFISHER.      63 

favorite  resorts,  almost  sure  to  be  tenanted  by  a  pair  of 
these  industrious  birds,  whose  vehement  cries  are  not 
less  familar  to  the  miller  than  the  noise  of  his  own  ma- 
chinery. The  birds  are  really  far  less  numerous  than 
many  others  less  conspicuous  and  familiar,  and  usually 
a  sheet  or  stretch  of  water  is  fished  by  only  a  single 
pair ;  but  they  are  large,  noisy,  assertive  creatures,  im- 
possible to  overlook,  and  therefore  giving  an  impression 
of  being  more  abundant 
than  they  really  are  in 
comparison  with  less 
notorious  examples  of 
bird-life.  They  may 
be  seen  either  swiftly 
winging  along  the 
water-course,  or  hover- 
ing and  plunging  into 
the  stream  to  rise  suc- 
cessful with  a  fish  in  the 
beak,  or  perched  upon 
some  isolated  outpost 
like  aquatic  Shrikes. 
The  harsh  cry  has  been 

aptly     likened     tO     the  FIG.  7.- KINGFISHER. 

sound  made  by  springing  a  watchman's  rattle,  and  it  is 
no  less  startling  in  effect  when  breaking  suddenly  upon 
an  unexpecting  ear. 

The  Kingfisher  is  a  hole-breeder,  like  all  of  its  tribe. 
Some  of  the  many  exotic  species,  which  are  less  aquatic 
and  feed  rather  upon  insects  and  reptiles  than  upon  fish, 
nest  in  hollows  of  trees;  but  all  the  true  piscivorous 
Alcedinidoe  burrow  in  the  ground.  A  tunnel  several  — 
four,  six  or  eight  —  feet  in  length,  either  straight  or 


64  ALCEDINID.E  :    KINGFISHERS. 

elbowed,  is  dug  by  the  bird  with  its  spear-like  beak; 
and  in  the  chambered  extremity  of  this  excavation  the 
nest  is  made,  —  if  a  few  fish-bones  can  be  called  a  nest. 
The  sites  selected  are  such  as  the  Bank  Swallow  chooses ; 
and  not  seldom  a  gravel-pit,  pepper-boxed  with  Swallow's 
holes,  shows  one  larger  orifice  than  the  rest,  out  of  which, 
if  one  watch  long  enough,  a  Kingfisher  will  be  seen  to 
dart  with  amazing  celerity  and  exultant  cry.  The  eggs 
are  laid  late  in  May  and  in  June.  They  average  seven 
in  number,  are  pure  white  (like  those  of  most  hole-breed- 
ers), and  measure  about  1.35  X  i.oo.  The  Kingfisher  nests 
are  usually  "  handy"  to  the  water,  but  not  necessarily  so  ; 
for  when  no  eligible  site  offers  by  the  margin  of  the 
stream  or  pond,  it  is  a  matter  of  a  few  moments  for  the 
sturdy,  sinewy  bird  to  go  a  mile  or  more  from  his  fishing- 
waters  and  find  himself  suited.  As  regards  his  relations 
with  man,  the  bird  has  none  that  it  cares  to  cultivate ; 
is  a  thoroughly  solitary,  self-possessing  creature,  neither 
courting  nor  shunning  observation,  but  simply  indiffer- 
ent ;  and  one  who  minds  his  own  business  so  well  as  to 
be  a  perpetual  rebuke  to  the  busy-bodies  who  make 
so  much  mischief  in  the  society  of  featherless  "forked 
radishes." 


C.  ERYTHROPHTHALMUS  :    BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO.      65 


FAMILY  CUCULID^E:  CUCKOOS. 
BLACK-BILLED    CUCKOO. 

COCCYGUS    ERYTHROPHTHALMUS    (Wils.)    Bd. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  uniform  satiny  olive-green,  or  "  Quaker-color," 
with  bronzy  reflections.  Below  pure  white,  or  with  a  slight 
rusty  tinge  ;  little  if  any  rufous  on  wings  ;  lateral  tail-feathers  not 
contrasted  in  color  with  the  middle  pair,  blackish  for  a  little  dis- 
tance toward  the  end,  then  obscurely  tipped  with  whitish  ;  such 
coloration  of  the  tail-feathers  always  sufficing  to  distinguish 
the  species  from  C.  Americanus,  without  reference  to  other  char- 
acters. A  bare  livid  skin  around  eye  ;  edges  of  eyelids  red  ; 
bill  blackish  with  little  if  any  trace  of  yellow.  Length,  about 
11.50;  extent,  15.50;  wing,  5.00-5.50;  tail,  6.00-6.50;  bill, 
under  i.oo. 

Of  the  two  Cuckoos  which  inhabit  New  England,  the 
Black-billed  is  a  much  more  numerous  and  characteristic 
bird  than  its  rather  southerly  cousin  of  the  yellow  beak. 
It  is  an  abundant  summer  resident  in  the  woodland  of 
all  sections,  arriving*  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  re- 
maining through  September.  But  somewhat  like  C. 
americanus,  it  is  toward  the  end  of  its  migratory  tether 
in  New  England,  and  therefore  less  common  in  the 
Canadian  than  in  the  other  two  Faunae  represented  in 
New  England.  Excepting  for  its  hard  dry  voice,  sound- 
ing so  strangely  that,  however  often  heard,  one  scarcely 
becomes  accustomed  to  the  wild  outcry,  it  would  not  be 
very  frequently  noticed,  with  so  sly  and  furtive  a  man- 
ner does  it  wing  its  swift  arrowy  course  through  the 
foliage,  or  study  concealment  in  the  umbrage.  Its  habits 


66  CUCULID,E  :    CUCKOOS. 

are  specially  secretive  during  the  nesting  season,  when 
it  has  much  of  the  sneaking,  skulking  ways  of  the  para- 
sitic Cuckoos  of  the  old  world,  which  have  set  a  stigma 
upon  the  family  name.  At  other  seasons  it  is  more 
likely  to  come  under  observation,  when  its  lithe  form 
enlarges  by  the  spreading  of  wings  and  tail  as  the  agile 
creature  turns  and  twists  in  active  pursuit  of  its  prey. 
Nor  is  there  any  reason  why  the  Cuckoo  should  hide  its 
head  ;  it  is  an  orderly  member  of  a  disreputable  family, 
rarely  practising  the  vice  which  disgraces  so  many  of  its 
relatives,  only  lapsing  occasionally  into  what  the  Evolu- 
tionists call  "  atavism,"  when  it  drops  an  egg  in  some 
other  bird's  nest  by  sheer  force  of  hereditary  habit.  The 
Cuckoo  might  reasonably  apologize  for  such  misdemeanor 
by  urging  a  weight  of  family  cares  which  few  birds  have 
to  bear ;  being  unable,  through  some  defect  of  its  egging- 
apparatus,  to  lay  in  rapid  succession,  and  so  incubate  and 
raise  a  brood  at  one  effort.  The  eggs  follow  at  such  long 
intervals,  that  some  hatch  before  the  rest  are  dropped ; 
and  what  with  gaping  throats  to  be  satisfied,  eggs  to  be 
covered  and  more  to  come,  the  birds  have  a  hard  time 
of  it.  The  wonder  is  not  that  they  are  sometimes  remiss 
or  amiss  in  their  duties,  but  that  they  do  not  seek  a  watery 
grave  in  the  nearest  Kingfisher's  premises. 

The  nest  will  usually  be  found  in  a  low  tree  or  bush, 
sometimes  even  on  a  briar  patch  close  to  the  ground. 
It  is  a  slight  loose  structure  of  twigs,  often  a  mere  plat- 
form, but  sometimes  better  finished  with  leaves,  catkins 
and  bark-strips.  The  eggs  are  numerous,  as  already 
hinted,  but  it  is  not  easy  to  say  exactly  how  many  ;  prob- 
ably seldom  over  five.  They  are  elliptical  in  shape, 
greenish  in  color,  of  the  tint  prevailing  in  the  eggs  of 
our  herons,  and  measure  about  1.15X0.90. 


COCCYGUS  AMERICANUS  :    YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO. 


YELLOW-BILLED   CUCKOO. 
COCCYGUS  AMERICANUS  (L.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  as  in  foregoing  species  ;  under  parts  milk- 
white  ;  middle  tail-feathers  like  the  back  in  color,  the  rest  black, 
with  large  white  tips  ;  wings  extensively  rufous  ;  under  mandible 
and  edge  of  upper  mandible  yellow.  Size  of  the  last,  or  slightly 
larger. 

The  traits  and  habits  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  are 
those  of  the  species  just  described,  but  the  bird  is  much 
less  numerous 
in  New  Eng- 
land, and  decid- 
edly more  south- 
ern. It  really 
belongs  to  the 
Carolinian  Fau- 
na, though  over- 
lapping the  next 
one,  and  even 
appearing  at 

times     in     the  FIG.  S.  —  YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

Canadian.  It  is  rather  more  of  a  woodland  bird,  keep- 
ing more  in  higher  forests,  and  usually  nesting  at  a 
greater  altitude.  Out  of  the  immediate  valley  of  the 
Connecticut  it  is  somewhat  irregular  in  its  appear- 
ance, quite  common  some  years  in  particular  localities, 
and  again  hardly  to  be  found.  Mr.  Merriam  calls  it  a 
common  summer  resident  in  Connecticut.  Mr.  Minot 
says  that  it  has  evidently  become  less  numerous  near 
Boston  than  it  once  was,  and  is  now  considered  rare  in 
many  if  not  all  parts  of  New  England.  Mr.  Allen  speaks 


68  CUCULID^E:  CUCKOOS. 

of  it  as  a  rather  frequent  summer  resident  of  Massachu- 
setts, somewhat  irregularly  dispersed,  and  very  variable 
in  respect  to  numbers  in  different  years.  At  Amherst, 
where  I  have  found  it  breeding,  it  is  more  or  less  numer- 
ous every  year.  According  to  Mr.  Brewster  it  was  not 
seen  by  him  at  Upton,  Franconia  or  Gorham,  and  was 
rare  at  Norway,  in  Maine. 

The  nests  and  eggs  cannot  always  be  distinguished 
from  those  of  the  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  with  that  cer- 
tainty requisite  for  the  value  of  oological  material ;  the 
eggs  are,  however,  on  an  average  more  oval,  larger  and 
paler  greenish.  The  same  irregularity  and  delay  in  ovi- 
position  that  we  have  noted  in  the  case  of  the  Black- 
billed  is  witnessed  in  the  present  instance,  it  being  the 
rule  to  find  in  the  nest  eggs  in  various  stages  of  incuba- 
tion, with  or  without  young  birds  also ;  and  this  species 
shows  the  same  lingering  tendency  to  drop  eggs  in  alien 
nests.  It  has  recently  been  established  that  the  Ground 
Cuckoo  of  the  Southwest,  Geococcyx  calif oniiamts,  has 
the  same  habit  ;  and  various  irregularities  of  the  kind 
are  probably  more  prevalent  among  American  Cuckoos 
than  many  are  aware.  The  species  of  Crotophaga,  for 
example,  offer  the  curious  case,  that  a  flock  clubs  to- 
gether to  build  an  enormous  nest,  in  which  several  indi- 
viduals lay  their  eggs  and  hatch  their  young  in  a  singular 
sort  of  communism.  Thus  it  appears  that  our  Cowbirds 
(Molothrus]  are  far  from  being  alone  among  American 
birds  in  undesirable  domestic  traits. 


HYLOTOMUS  PILEATUS  :    PILEATED  WOODPECKER.      69 


FAMILY  PICID^:  WOODPECKERS. 

PILEATED   WOODPECKER. 

HYLOTOMUS  PILEATUS  (L.)  Bd. 

Chars.  General  color  black  ;  head,  neck  and  wings  variegated  with 
white  or  pale  yellowish  ;  bill  dark  horn  color.  Male,  with  a 
scarlet  crest,  and  scarlet  cheek-patches.  Female,  with  crest  only 
half  scarlet,  and  no  cheek-patches.  Length,  from  15.00  to 
19.00  ;  extent,  about  28.00  ;  wing,  8.50-9.50  ;  tail,  6.00-7.00. 

Another  of  the  many  chapters  for  which  the  non- 
oscine  and  non-passerine  land  birds  of  New  England  fur- 
nish us  occasion  opens  with  the  largest  and  finest  rep- 
resentative of  the  Woodpecker  family,  many  members  of 
which  will  be  seen  to  enter  into  the  composition  of  our 
feathered  fauna.  The «Pileated  Woodpecker,  or  Logcock, 
or  Black  Woodcock,  as  the  bird  is  called  sometimes,  is  a 
species  of  wide  and  general  distribution  in  North  America; 
but  a  wild  and  solitary  bird,  delighting  in  the  recesses  of 
forests  deepest  and  hoarest  with  age.  It  is  one  which 
retreats  instinctively  at  the  crack  of  the  axe  and  the 
shriek  of  steam,  and  is  therefore  almost  exterminated  in 
the  cleared  and  settled  portions  of  New  England.  Some 
years  hereafter,  the  faithful  compiler  of  the  records  will 
present  interesting  items  of  the  occurrence  of  this  "  rare 
species  "  here  and  there ;  but  for  the  present  it  may  be 
spoken  of  in  more  general  terms,  as  all  of  the  "forest 
primeval"  still  harbors  the  great,  black,  scarlet-crested 
woodman,  chips  of  whose  powerful  chiselling  are  still 
scattered  at  the  feet  of  many  a  decrepit  monarch.  In 


7O  PICID^E  :    WOODPECKERS. 

the  nature  of  the  case  as  stated,  the  Pileated  Woodpecker 
is  more  numerous  in  northern  than  in  southern  New 
England,  not  in  the  least  as  a  matter  of  geographical 
distribution,  but  simply  because  the  heavy-timbered, 
swampy  backwoods  are  best  suited  to  its  .nature.  Wher- 
ever the  bird  makes  its  abode,  its  presence  is  likely  to 
be  indicated  by  the  noise  of  its  hammering,  audible  at 
much  greater  distances  than  the  tapping  of  the  weaker 
Woodpeckers  can  be  heard.  It  is  also  capable  of  much 

more  extensive 
operations  in 
-denuding  trees 
of  their  bark, 
often  laying 
them  bare  in 
great  areas.  In 

FIG.  9.  — FOOT  OF  PILEATED  WOODPECKER.  thickly  WOOded 

swamp  land,  it  may  sometimes  be  seen  working  upon 
fallen  logs ;  but  it  generally  keeps  high  up  among 
the  tree-tops,  especially  such  as  are  blasted  by  lightning 
or  began  their  natural  decay  by  "  dying  at  the  head." 
From  such  elevated  posts  of  observation  it  surveys  a 
wide  ground ;  watchful  of  every  suspicious  movement, 
and  wary  to  the  last  degree,  it  makes  off  at  the  first 
alarm,  and  easily  escapes  pursuit. 

The  eggs  of  all  the  Woodpeckers  are  of  a  crystalline 
texture,  rounded  form,  and  pure  white  color.  They  can- 
not be  distinguished  from  each  other,  not  even  by  size. 
For  instance,  the  egg  of  the  Pileated  is  remarkably  small 
in  comparison  with  the  linear  dimensions  of  the  bird ; 
showing  that  the  result  depends  largely  upon  the  con- 
figuration of  the  parent.  The  eggs  average  about  1.25  X 
1,00,  being  thus  not  greatly  larger  than  Flicker  eggs. 


PICUS    VILLOSUS  :    HAIRY    WOODPECKER.  Jl 

HAIRY    WOODPECKER. 

PlCUS    VILLOSUS    L. 

Chars.  Back  black,  with  a  long  white  stripe  ;  quills  and  wing- 
coverts  black,  profusely  spotted  with  white  ;  four  middle  tail- 
feathers  black  ;  next  pair  black  and  white  ;  next  two  pairs  white  ; 
Under  parts  white  ;  crown  and  side  of  head  black,  with  a  white 
stripe  above  and  below  the  eye.  Male  with  a  scarlet  band  on 
nape,  which  is  wanting  in  the  female  ;  in  young  birds  the  crown 
is  mostly  red  or  bronzy.  Varies  greatly  in  size.  Length,  usually 
9.00-9.50;  extent,  16.00-17.00;  wing,  about  5.00;  tail,  3.00;  bill, 
i.oo;  tarsus,  middle  toe  and  claw,  1.66. 

A  resident  bird  throughout  New  England  in  wooded 
regions,  but  not  so  abundant  as  its  "  little  brother,"  the 


FIG.  10.  —  HAIRY  WOODPECKER. 


Downy  Woodpecker.  There  may  be  some  shifting  of 
locality  with  season,  though  hardly  a  migration  in  the 
strict  sense  of  the  term  :  for  most  observers  agree  that 
the  Hairy  is  more  numerous  in  the  winter  than  in  sum- 


72  PIC1DJE  I   WOODPECKERS. 

mer,  at  any  rate  in  southern  New  England.  Such  relative 
numbers  may  perhaps  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that 
it  is  a  rather  shy  and  solitary  bird,  especially  during  the 
breeding  season,  —  one  which  resorts  to  secluded  places 
to  nest,  and  is  therefore  less  likely  to  come  under  obser- 
vation. The  clearing  away  of  the  forests  affects  this  bird 
as  it  does  the  Pileated,  though  to  less  extent,  as  the 
Hairy  will  often  visit  orchards,  gardens  and  parks,  to 
which  the  greater  bird  is  a  total  stranger.  The  nesting 
is  in  no  wise  peculiar ;  the  eggs  are  four  to  six  in  num- 
ber, measuring  about  0.85x0.65,  laid  in  May  and  some- 
times early  in  June.  The  young  birds  differ  from  the 
adults  in  having  the  top  of  the  head  bronzy  red  or 
even  yellow,  but  may  always  be  recognized  by  the 
characters  given  above,  being  much  larger  than  the 
Downy  Woodpecker,  which  they  so  much  resemble  in 
coloration. 


DOWNY   WOODPECKER. 

PlCUS    PUBESCENS   L. 

Chars.  Coloration  exactly  as  in  P.  mllosus,  excepting  that  all  the 
lateral  tail-feathers  are  barred  with  black  and  white.  Size  much 
less.  Length,  6.00-7.00;  extent,  11.00-12.00;  wing,  3.50 ;  tail, 
less  than  3.00  ;  bill,  about  0.66 ;  whole  foot,  1.25. 

The  numberless  holes  you  have  so  often  seen  drilled 
with  regularity  in  rows  around  the  trunk  and  large 
branches  of  the  apple-tree  are  the  work  of  this  indus- 
trious and  indefatigable  little  bird,  whose  tappings  you 
may  often  have  heard,  or  whose  speckled  body  has  so 
often  put  the  tree-trunk  in  your  line  of  vision  when  you 
sought  to  watch  the  hammering  and  chiselling  process. 


PICUS    PUBESCENS  I    DOWNY    WOODPECKER.  73 

The  holes  do  not  injure  the  tree,  and  the  active  carpin- 
tcro  is  one  of  the  best  friends  of  the  fruit-grower,  by  de- 
stroying the  insidious  creatures  which  lurk  beneath  the 
bark  and  work  destruction  of  his  hopes  in  the  end,  unless 
their  mischief  is  stayed  by  the  friendly  bird.  Few  of 
our  feathered  friends,  indeed,  are  more  directly  bene- 
ficial to  the  husbandman  than  Woodpeckers,  whose  nat- 
ural food  is  the  eggs  and  larvae  of  insects  that  prey  upon 
the  living  objects  of  his  concern ;  and  among  them  all 
the  Downy  holds  a  leading  place,  through  its  great 
abundance,  its  familiarity  and  its  industry.  Its  work  of 
boring  into  the  bark,  par- 
ticularly of  the  dryer, 
older  and  more  grub-in- 
fested trees  must  not  be 
mistaken  for  the  bark- 
stripping  operations  of 
the  Sphyropicus,  of  which 
more  anon,  though  both 
are  too  often  confounded  FlG-  "--DowNY  WOODPECKER. 
by  the  careless  observer  under  whose  ban  they  come  to- 
gether with  the  name  of  "  sapsuckers."  Open  the  mouth 
of  one  of  these  borers  whose  work  is  beneficial,  seize  the 
tongue,  and  you  may  draw  that  curious  organ  far  out 
beyond  the  end  of  the  beak :  it  is  a  slender,  cylindrical, 
sinewy  spear,  of  a  delicate  flesh-color,  arrow-headed  and 
barbed.  By  a  wonderful  muscular  mechanism  the  bird 
poises  the  quivering  weapon  and  launches  it  forth  with 
unerring  aim  to  secure  the  hapless  grub,  which  is  then 
as  adroitly  withdrawn  all  writhing  into  the  captor's  horny 
beak.  The  tongue  of  a  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  is 
so  constructed  as  to  be  scarcely  extensible,  and  there- 
fore fails  of  any  such  office  as  I  have  described. 


74  PICIDJE  :    WOODPECKERS. 

Like  the  Hairy  Woodpecker,  the  Downy  is  rather 
more  frequently  observed  in  fall  and  winter  than  in  the 
breeding  season  ;  it  is  often  prompted  to  seek  safety  in 
seclusion,  but  with  the  fearlessness  of  innocence,  and 
that  confidence  in  humanity  which  one's  own  clear  con- 
science so  often  establishes,  to  be  so  often  abused,  it 
not  seldom  nests  in  the  orchard  and  garden.  With 
almost  incredible  labor  do  the  hopeful  and  expectant 
pair  chisel  a  hole  for  the  nest,  relieving  and  cheering 
each  other  until  the  excavation,  to  them  more  important 
than  the  exhumation  of  a  buried  Ilium,  is  completed  to 
their  satisfaction ;  when,  about  the  middle  of  May,  upon 
the  bare  chips  and  mould  at  the  bottom  of  the  cavity, 
the  mother  bird  finds  her  crystal  spheres,  to  the  number 
of  five  or  six,  in  size  about  three-fourths  by  three-fifths 
of  an  inch. 


BLACK-BACKED    THREE-TOED    WOOD- 
PECKER. 

PICOIDES  ARCTICUS  (Sw.)  Gr. 

Chars.  Only  three  toes  ;  back  uniform  black ;  under  parts  white, 
barred  on  sides  with  black  ;  sides  of  head  striped  with  black  and 
white  ;  quills  spotted  with  white  ;  middle  tail-feathers  black, 
lateral  white,  none  barred.  Crown  of  male  with  a  square  yellow 
patch.  Length,  8.00-9.00  ;  wing,  4.50-5.00  ;  tail,  3.50-4.00. 

The  whole  range  of  ornithological  science  furnishes 
scarcely  another  instance  than  the  genus  Picoides  of  the 
reduction  of  the  digits  of  a  bird  to  three,  of  which  only 
two  point  forward,  and  of  which  the  hind  one  is  really 
the  outer  toe  reversed  to  take  the  place  of  a  missing  hal- 
lux  ;  for  in  the  three-toed  genera  of  Alcedinidce  (Alcyone 


PICOIDES  ARCTICUS  I    BLACK-BACKED  WOODPECKER.       75 

and  Ceyx),  for  example,  one  of  the  anterior  toes  is 
aborted,  and  the  proper  hind  toe  remains  in  place.  In 
one  of  the  genera  of  Pictimnidce,  however,  there  are  like- 
wise only  three  toes.  How  the  peculiarity  originated,  or 
what  useful  purpose  in  the  bird's  economy  is  subserved 
by  this  unique  anomaly,  we  are  ignorant.  It  may  be 
gravely  doubted  that  a  special  creative  fiat  was  required 
to  remove  the  inner  hind  toe  of  a  Woodpecker ;  and 
more  reasonably  presumed  that  supreme  intelligence 
was  equal  to  the  establishment  of  laws  by  the  orderly 
operation  of  which  the  modification  in  question  was 
from  the  beginning  a  foregone  necessity.  However  this 
may  be,  the  loss  of  a  digit  does  not  appreciably  interfere 
with  the  bird's  pursuit  of  happiness,  nor  affect  in  any 
marked  degree  its  methods  of  attaining  that  end,  which 
are  the  same  as  those  employed  by  all  its  four-toed 
relations. 

As  implied  in  the  name,  the  Black-backed  Wood- 
pecker is  a  boreal  bird,  finding  the  limit  of  its  breeding 
range,  as  well  as  of  its  permanent  abode,  in  the  forests 
of  northern  New  England,  in  the  Canadian  Fauna,  and 
being  for  the  rest  only  a  winter  visitor,  of  more  or  less 
rarity  according  to  the  weather  or  other  extrinsic  condi- 
tions of  its  movements.  In  Connecticut,  according  to 
Mr.  Merriam,  it  is  a  rare  winter  visitor  (B.  Conn.,  1877, 
p.  64).  The  Massachusetts  records  are  more  numerous : 
for  instance,  see  Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iv,  1864,  p.  52; 
Coues,  ibid.,  v,  1868,  p.  262  ;  Allen,  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870, 
p.  572  ;  Purdie,  ibid.,  vii,  1873,  p.  693  ;  Allen,  Bull.  Essex 
Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  20;  Deane,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880, 
p.  56;  Brewster,  ibid.,  vi,  1881,  p.  182. 

The  general  habits  and  mode  of  nesting  are  in  no  wise 
peculiar.  The  eggs  measure  about  1.00X0.80. 


76  PICID,E  :   WOODPECKERS. 

WHITE-BACKED   THREE-TOED   WOOD- 
PECKER. 

PICOIDES   AMERICANUS   Brehm. 

Chars.  With  only  three  toes  like  the  last,  and  quite  the  same 
coloration,  excepting  a  white  lengthwise  stripe  down  the  back, 
which  is  interrupted  by  black  bars.  Size  of  the  last. 

This  is  a  second  species  of  the  mutilate  Woodpeckers 
—  one  whose  range  is  intrinsically  the  same  as  that  of 
its  amputated  congener,  but  whose  winter  wandering,  as 
far  as  known,  is  not  as  extensive  as  the  Black-back's. 
There  is  no  record  for  the  Carolinian  Fauna  that  I  am 
aware  of,  and  there  are  very  few  for  the  Alleghanian, 
though  the  bird  is  now  and  then  seen  in  Massachusetts 
as  a  winter  visitor  from  the  north.  Even  in  the  forests 
where  it  resides  it  is  a  rarer  bird  than  P.  arcticus.  The 
principal  authority  for  its  occurrence  in  Massachusetts 
is  Mr.  Allen,  who  mentions  a  pair  taken  near  Lynn  by 
Mr.  George  O.  Welch  (Am.  Nat,  iii,  1870,  p.  572). 


YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 
SPHYROPICUS  VARIUS  (L.)  Bd. 

Chars.  Male:  crown  crimson  enclosed  in  black;  chin,  throat  and 
breast  black,  enclosing  a  crimson  patch  on  the  former  (which  is 
white  in  the  female)  ;  sides  of  head  with  two  white  stripes,  one 
curving  from  the  eye  around  the  nape,  the  other  running  from 
the  bill  down  the  side  of  the  neck,  these  stripes  separated  by 
black,  and  sometimes  decidedly  yellowish,  instead  of  white  ;  belly 
yellowish  ;  sides  with  dusky  arrow-heads  ;  back  variegated  with 
black  and  yellowish  ;  wings  black,  the  quills  profusely  spotted 


SPHYROPICUS  VARIUS  I  YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER.    // 

with  white,  the  coverts  with  a  large  oblique  white  bar;  tail 
black,  most  of  the  feathers  edged  with  white,  and  the  upper 
coverts  mostly  white.  "  Young  birds  lack  the  black  areas  of  the 
i  head  and  breast,  and  the  crimson  throat  patch,  these  parts  being 
mottled  gray.  But  in  any  plumage  the  bird  is  recognized  by  its 
yellowness,  different  from  what  is  seen  in  any  other  eastern 
species,  and  a  broad  white  wing-bar."  The  tongue  is  scarcely 
extensible.  Length,  about  8.50  ;  extent,  15.00-15.50  ;  wing,  4.50- 
5.00  ;  tail,  3.50.  A  slight  variety  (nuchalis\  with  a  band  of  red 
on  the  nape  in  addition  to  that  above  described,  is  sometimes 
seen  in  New  England. 

This  is  a  very  different  kind  of  Woodpecker  from  any 
of  the  foregoing  —  one  remarkable  not  only  for  the 
varied  beauty  of  its  coloration,  but  also  for  certain  ana- 
tomical peculiarities  in  which  it  stands  alone  among  all 
the  New  England  species,  and  as  the  cause  or  result  of 
which,  it  is  unlike  the  rest  in  its  vital  economy.  The 
tongue  cannot  be  thrust  far  out  of  the  mouth,  nor  is  it 
fashioned  like  a  spear,  being  brushy  at  the  end  with  little 
of  the  acuteness  and  hardness  seen  in  the  same  organ  of 
other  Woodpeckers.  It  feeds  upon  insects,  but  only 
derives  a  portion  of  its  sustenance  from  such  sources, 
and  takes  the  winged  imagos  readily  by  pursuing  them 
in  the  air  and  returning  after  such  exploits  to  its  perch, 
almost  in  the  manner  of  a  Kingbird  or  Pewee.  Nuts, 
berries  and  other  fruits  vary  its  fare;  and  to  procure 
these  it  may  often  be  seen  creeping  and  hanging  in  the 
strangest  attitudes  among  the  terminal  twigs  of  trees, 
so  slender  that  they  bend  with  the  weight  of  the  bird. 
The  traces  of  its  carpenter  work  on  trees  are  quite  pe- 
culiar ;  for  it  has  a  way  of  operating  on  sound  healthy 
wood  when  the  sap  is  flowing,  by  which  patches  of  bark 
some  inches  in  diameter  are  removed.  The  object  of 
the  bird  is  apparently  to  get  at  the  soft  succulent  inner 


78  PICIDjE  :    WOODPECKERS. 

bark  in  which  the  circulation  of  the  wood  is  most  active, 
and  we  cannot  suppose  that  trees  girdled  and  bled  in 
such  fashion  are  not  injured  by  the  operation.  To  some 
extent  therefore  the  bird  merits  the  name  of  "Sap- 
sucker,"  and  deserves  the  disfavor  with  which  its  ap- 
pearance in  the  orchard  is  usually  regarded. 

Woodpeckers  as  a  rule  are  stationary  or  nearly  so, 


FIG.  12. —  YELLOW-BELLIED  WOODPECKER. 

shifting  their  quarters  rather  according  to  fortuitous  cir- 
cumstances than  in  obedience  to  the  strict  law  of  north- 
south  migratory  impulse.  If  any  one  of  our  species 
comes  fully  within  the  letter  of  the  law,  it  is  the  Yellow- 
bellied,  as  indeed  might  be  inferred  from  what  has  been 
said  of  the  nature  of  its  food.  In  southern  New  Eng- 
land, the  bird  is  chiefly  observed  in  spring  and  fall ; 
in  other  sections  it  is  a  common  summer  resident, 
breeding  in  large  numbers.  No  one  should  be  sur- 
prised to  hear  of  the  bird  in  mid-winter,  though  I 
have  overlooked  the  records  to  this  effect,  if  any,  in- 
deed, exist.  The  mode  of  nesting  is  in  no  wise  pecul- 


CENTURUS   CAROLINUS  :    RED-BELLIED  WOODPECKER.     79 

iar,  nor  are  the  eggs  to  be  recognized  by  any  infallible 
characters.  They  are  four  to  six  in  number,  and  meas- 
ure about  0.90X0.75,  but  vary  much  in  size  as  well  as  in 
degree  of  sphericity. 


RED-BELLIED   WOODPECKER. 
CENTURUS  CAROLINUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  closely  banded  crosswise  with  black  and  white  ; 
under  parts  whitish,  reddening  on  the  belly,  with  black  arrow- 
heads on  flanks;  tail  black,  tha  outer  feathers  barred  with  white, 
the  central  feathers  with  black  and  white  spaces  ;  rump  mostly 
white  ;  primaries  with  large  white  blotches  near  the  base,  and 
other  smaller  spots.  Male  with  the  whole  crown  and  nape 
scarlet.  Female  with  less  of  this  color.  Length,  9.50-10.00  ; 
extent,  16.50-17.50  ;  wing,  about  5.00  ;  tail,  about  3.50. 

The  Red-bellied  is  the  rarest  of  all  the  New  England 
Woodpeckers,  being  in  fact  only  a  casual  summer  visitor 
to  the  limit  of  the  Carolinian  Fauna,  or  slightly  beyond. 
There  is  at  least  one  early  record  of  its  occurrence  in 
Connecticut,  being  that  given  by  Linsley  in  1843  (Am. 
Journ.  Sci.,  xliv,  p.  263) ;  and  other  instances  of  like 
nature  have  latterly  been  added  by  Mr.  Merriam  (Hart- 
ford and  Suffield  ;  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  65).  Prof.  Emmons 
gave  it  as  breeding  in  western  Massachusetts  many  years 
ago,  and  Mr.  Allen  has  recently  witnessed  its  occurrence 
in  May  at  Springfield  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  1864,  p.  53  ; 
Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  20.  See  also  Plummer, 
Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881,  p.  120;  Brewster  and  Allen, 
ibid.,  p.  183).  It  has  been  said  to  breed  regularly 
though  rarely  in  Long  Island,  and  has  often  been  seen 
in  New  York  and  Canada  West. 


8O  PICID.E  I    WOODPECKERS. 

RED-HEADED   WOODPECKER. 
MELANERPES  ERYTHROCEPHALUS  (L.)  Sw. 

Chars.  Glossy  blue-black  ;  whole  head,  neck,  and  forebreast  crim- 
son ;  under  parts  from  the  breast,  rump,  and  secondaries  pure 
white  ;  primaries  and  tail  feathers  black.  Sexes  alike  :  Young, 
with  the  head  plain  gray,  and  the  white  secondaries  barred  with 
black.  Length,  9.00-9.50;  extent,  16.50-17.50;  wing,  5.25- 
5.50 ;  tail,  3-50- 

The  "red,  white  and  blue"  of  this  brilliant  bird 
makes  by  far  the  most  artistic  display  of  color-contrast 
to  be  seen  in  the  green  woods  of  our  country  —  not 
even  the  Scarlet  Tanager  or  the  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beak can  compare  with  such  flashing  hues.  Besides 
being  arrayed  in  the  handsomest  of  attire,  this  Wood- 
pecker is  inexhaustible  in  fertility  of  inventions  for 
pleasure  or  profit,  and  so  versatile  in  the  exhibition  of 
resources  for  those  ends  as  to  partake  of  the  character 
of  genius.  Its  habits  are  therefore  not  easy  to  describe 
in  a  few  words  —  its  traits  cannot  be  labelled  in  con- 
ventional phrase,  and  filed  away  with  those  of  other 
woodpeckers  —  they  require  a  pigeon-hole  of  their  own, 
which  might  be  filled  with  anecdotes  illustrating  what 
has  been  said,  did  not  the  limits  of  our  work  forbid  us 
that  indulgence. 

The  appearance  of  the  bird  in  New  England  is  irreg- 
ular, like  most  of  its  habits.  Comparisons  of  the  older 
with  most  recent  authorities  on  the  subject  indicate 
that  the  species  is  now  much  less  numerous  than  for- 
merly. This  can  hardly  be  owing  to  the  progress  of 
civilization,  for  the  bird  is  as  much  at  home  in  the 
garden  and  park  as  in  the  depths  of  the  woods.  The 


M.  ERYTHROCEPHALUS  I    RED-HEADED  WOODPECKER.      8 1 

persecution  which  so  conspicuous  an  apparition  invites 
may  have  something  to  do  with  decreasing  the  numbers 
of  the  species  ;  for  certainly  all  persons  with  gun  in 
hand,  on  their  collecting  tours,  cannot  resist  the  temp- 
tation of  a  shot  at  the  beautiful  creature,  and  the  bird 
itself  is  one  which  never  seems  to  profit  by  the  lesson 
of  danger  notoriety  teaches.  It  really  belongs  to  more 
southern  and  western  regions,  its  numbers  in  summer 
being  greater  in  the  Middle  and  even  the  Southern  States 
than  they  are  in  New  England  ;  and  though  it  has  been 
seen  in  each  of  our  six  States,  it  does  not  ordinarily 
proceed  beyond  Massachusetts.  It  was  formerly  not 
uncommon  around  Amherst,  where  I  found  several 
pairs  nesting,  and  heard  of  others,  and  Mr.  Purdie 
narrates  that  of  late  years  numbers  have  occurred  in 
Eastern  Massachusetts  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882, 
p.  57).  Even  in  Connecticut  it  is  not  so  numerous 
that  Mr.  Merriam  did  not  consider  it  worth  while  to 
specify  various  instances  of  its  observation  or  capture 
in  that  State,  where  there  appear  to  have  happened 
various  irruptions  of  the  bird  in  considerable  numbers, 
but  at  irregular  intervals.  Notwithstanding  such  scar- 
city on  the  confines  of  its  distribution,  and  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  this  species  is  one  of  the  most  decidedly 
migratory  members  of  its  tribe,  it  has  been  found 
within  our  limits  in  winter,  on  more  than  one  occasion 
—  as,  for  instance,  about  Boston  during  December,  Jan- 
uary and  February.  It  cannot  be  considered  exclusively 
a  visitor  from  the  South,  knowing,  as  we  now  do,  its 
range  in  New  York  State,  as  recently  indicated  by  Dr. 
Merriam  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  pp.  57,  63). 

Wherever  occurring  at  all  in  summer,  it  is  not  likely 
to  be  found  alone,  but  in  pairs,  and  often  in  companies ; 


82  PICimE  I    WOODPECKERS. 


and  its  breeding  in  New  England  is  one  of  the  most 
orderly  events  of  its  desultory  existence.  The  mode  of 
nesting  is  not  peculiar,  a  hole  being  excavated  by  the 
joint  labor  of  the  pair,  generally  in  decayed  wood  so  soft 
as  to  be  readily  chiselled  out.  A  favorite  situation  is 
the  blasted  top  of  a  tree,  at  a  considerable  elevation  ; 
but  its  choice  wavers  with  its  whim,  like  all  the  rest  of 
its  actions,  and  it  will  often  nest  in  a  stub  or  even  a 
fence-post.  The  eggs  are  usually  four,  five,  or  six  in 
number,  of  characteristic  whiteness  and  smoothness, 
measuring  about  i.oo  by  0.80,  but  too  variable  in  this 
respect  to  be  identified  either  by  size  or  shape.  The 
diet  of  the  bird  is  by  no  means  confined  to  grubs  dug 
out  of  the  bark  ;  it  catches  insects  on  the  wing  with 
some  address  ;  and  is  fond  of  acorns,  beech-nuts,  and 
other  small  fruits,  hard  or  soft,  often  laying  the  pro- 
ducts of  the  orchard  and  garden  under  contribution  by 
way  of  variety. 

GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER  ;  FLICKER. 

COLAPTES   AURATUS    (L.)    SlV. 

Chars.  Back,  wing-coverts  and  inner  quills  olive-brown,  closely 
barred  with  black  :  quills  and  tail-feathers  black,  with  golden- 
yellow  shafts  and  under  surfaces.  Rump,  snowy  white  ; 
crown  and  nape,  ash,  with  a  scarlet  band  ;  chin  and  throat,  lilac- 
brown  ;  a  large  black  shield  on  the  breast  ;  under  parts  with 
numberless  circular  black  spots  ;  tinged  on  the  belly  with  yel- 
low, on  the  sides  with  creamy-brown.  Male,  with  black  max- 
illary patches,  wanting  in  the  female.  Length,  12.00-13.00  ; 
extent,  18.00-20.00  ;  wing,  5.75-6.25  ;  tail,  4.50. 

Last  but  not  least  of  its  interesting  tribe  comes  this 
beautiful  Woodpecker,  so  well  known  in  New  England 


C.  AURATUS  :    GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER. 


as  to  have  received  half  a  dozen  popular  names  besides 
those  by  which  it  is  usually  designated,  as  above.  It  is  a 
resident,  but  less  common  in  winter  than  at  other  times, 
as  scarcity  of  food  or  other  causes  sends  most  individuals 
southward  during  the  most  inclement  part  of  the  year. 
It  is  a  bird  of  wood-land,  and  nests  after  the  manner  of 
others  of  its  family  by  excavating  a  hole  in  trees :  but 
it  is  far  from  being  con- 
fined to  the  depths  of 
the  forests,  displaying.its 
gilded  plumes  and  emi- 
nent musical  inability  in 
parks,  orchards,  and  even 
in  fields,  and  by  the  way- 
side remote  from  forests. 
Its  slightly  curved  bill  is 
less  sharp  and  chisel-like 
than  most  woodpeckers', 
and  its  boring  for  insects 
in  wood  is  less  habitual. 
Much  of  its  food  consists 
of  fruits,  and  it  is  partic- 
ularly fond  of  ants.  To 
procure  these  insects  it  FIG.  J3.- FLICKER. 

visits  their  hills,  and  finds  no  difficulty  in  capturing  them 
by  means  of  its  very  extensible,  lumbriciform  tongue,  cov- 
ered with  tenacious  saliva,  and  capable  of  being  thrust 
out  several  inches  beyond  the  point  of  the  beak.  Its  body 
sometimes  acquires  a  smell  of  formic  acid  from  such  diet. 
This  is  one  reason  why  the  Flicker  is  so  often  seen 
away  from  trees,  and  foraging  on  the  ground.  Even 
when  in  the  woods,  it  is  often  observed  perched  upon  a 
bough  in  the  fashion  of  ordinary  birds,  rather  than 


84  FICID^E  :    WOODPECKERS. 

clinging  to  the  upright  trunks.  Although  so  numerous 
and  ubiquitous,  the  Flicker  is  a  shy  and  watchful  bird, 
easily  alarmed  by  any  unwonted  approach,  and  quick  to 
change  its  base  of  operations  when  disturbed,  unless  it 
has  already  made  its  nest. 

In  this  labor,  shared  by  the  two  sexes  with  equal 
assiduity,  the  birds  are  untiring  until  the  hole  is  exca- 


FIG.  14.  —  HEAD  OF  COLAFTES  AURATUS.    Natural  size. 

vated  to  the  proper  depth,  and  repeated  annoyances 
seldom  suffice  to  drive  the  devoted  pair  from  their 
chosen  abode.  If  the  nest  is  robbed,  the  female  will 
bravely  go  on  laying  eggs  —  in  some  instances  to  the 
number  of  nearly  two  dozen  before  her  resources  are 
exhausted.  If  undisturbed,  the  usual  number  of  eggs 
is  six  or  seven,  in  shape  not  so  nearly  spheroidal  as 
those  of  more  typical  Woodpeckers.  They  measure  on 
an  average  about  1.15  in  length  by  0.90  in  breadth,  but 
are  very  variable  in  size  and  shape.  As  soon  as  the 


C.  AURATUS  :    GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER.          85 

young  are  strong  enough  to  use  their  feet,  they 
scramble  to  the  entrance  of  the  burrow,  and  may  soon 
after  be  seen  clinging  to  the  bark  near  the  nest,  while 
the  anxious,  but  delighted  parents,  proud  of  their  prom- 
ising beauties,  encourage  them  to  take  short  flights,  till 
by  degrees  they  become  confident  on  the  wing,  and  able 
to  take  care  of  themselves.  Such  duties  and  pleasures 
over,  the  birds  display  more  strongly  than  in  spring  their 
sociable  and  almost  gregarious  nature,  being  generally 
seen  trooping  in  considerable  numbers  until  late  in  the 
fall,  when  all  but  the  most  hardy  individuals  make  their 
way  southward. 


86  STRIGID.E  :   OWLS. 


FAMILY  STRIGID^E:  OWLS. 
BARN   OWL. 

FLAMMEUS    PRATINCOLA    (Bp.)    CoueS. 

Chars.  Facial  disc  highly  developed.  No  tufts  on  head.  Ex- 
ternal ear  very  large,  operculate.  Plumage  very  downy.  Colors 
above,  tawny,  clouded  with  ashy  and  whitish,  speckled  with  black- 
ish. Below,  varying  from  whitish  to  fulvous,  with  sparse,  sharp 
blackish  spots  ;  face  white  or  fulvous,  dark  about  the  eyes,  and 
bordered  with  dark  brown.  Wings  and  tail  barred  with  brown, 
and  mottled  like  the  back.  Feet  bristly,  but  not  densely  feathered. 
Length,  16.00-17.00;  wing,  12.00-13.00;  tail,  5.50;  bill  whitish; 
toes  yellowish. 


Of  the  thirteen  species  of  Owls  found  in  New  Eng- 


FIG.  15.  — FOOT  OF  BARN  OWL.    Natural  size. 

land,  the  present  is  the  rarest,  excepting  the  Burrowing 
Owl,  which  only  occurs  accidentally.  The  Barn  Owl  is 
little  more  than  a  straggler  to  southern  New  England ; 
and  the  recorded  instances  of  its  occurrence  are  very 
few.  Many  years  ago,  a  specimen  was  taken  by  the 


BUBO   VIRGINIANUS  :    GREAT   HORNED    OWL.  8/ 

Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  at  Stratford,  Conn.  (Am.  Jour.  Sci., 
xliv,  1843,  p.  253).  According  to  Mr.  Merriam,  one  was 
found  by  Dr.  Wm.  O.  Ayres  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  about  the 
year  1841;  and  another  was  killed  at  Madison,  Conn., 
some  years  ago  (B.  Conn.,  1877,  P-  67).  The  fourth 
record  for  the  State  is  given  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen,  who 
states  that  Dr.  William  Wood  has  a  specimen  in  his 
cabinet  shot  at  Sachem's  Head,  Conn.,  Oct.  28,  1865 
(Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  570).  There  are  two  Massa- 
chusetts records  :  the  first,  given  by  Dr.  Coues  on  Mr. 
Allen's  authority,  of  a  specimen  killed  near  Springfield, 
in  May,  1868  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  v,  1868,  p.  312) ;  the  other 
of  one  shot  in  Lynn,  about  1864,  as  given  by  Mr.  Allen 
(Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  646).  The  alleged  Maine  in- 
stance (Brown,  Bull,  Nutt.  Club),  ii,  1877,  P-  28)  nas 
proven  erroneous.  See  Brown,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii, 
1882,  p.  58. 


GREAT   HORNED    OWL. 
BUBO  VIRGINIANUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Of  great  size,  with  conspicuous  ear-tufts,  and  facial  disc 
complete  ;  feet  entirely  feathered.  Length  about  2  feet ;  extent, 
4  feet ;  wing,  16.00  inches  ;  tail,  10.00.  Plumage  intimately 
varied  with  blackish,  whitish,  light  and  dark  brown,  and  tawny  : 
a  white  collar  on  the  throat.  The  sexes  are  alike,  but  the  female 
is  larger  than  the  male. 

This  large  and  powerful  Owl,  yielding  only  to  the 
Great  Gray  Owl  in  size,  and  to  none  of  its  tribe  in  spirit 
and  vigor,  is  a  resident  bird  throughout  New  England, 
and  one  of  the  commonest  of  the  nocturnal  birds  of 
prey.  It  chiefly  inhabits  the  forests,  but  not  seldom  is 


88 


STRIGID.E  :    OWLS. 


its  dismal  hooting  heard  from  some  tree  about  the 
farm-house  in  places  where  the  woods  have  been  cleared 
away ;  while  its  occasional  raids  upon  the  poultry  yard 
are  only  too  well  known.  No  nest  is  usually  con- 
structed :  the  eggs  are  laid  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  or  in 
the  cleft  of  rocks,  often  in  the  deserted  nest  of  a  hawk, 

which  is  patched  up 
to  suit,  and  very  early 
in  the  season  —  in 
February  or  March, 
seldom  if  ever  later 
than  April.  State- 
ments of  authors  are 
greatly  at  variance  re- 
specting the  nidifica- 
tion,  as  well  as  the 
number  of  eggs.  So 
widely  distributed  a 
bird  doubtless  changes 
its  habits  to  some  ex- 
tent according  to  cir- 
cumstances ;  but  in 
New  England,  at  any 
rate,  the  rule  is  that 
no  nest  is  built,  and 
only  two  eggs  are  laid. 
The  probability  is,  also,  that  the  eggs  produce  a  male 
and  female,  as  usual  among  pigeons.  They  are  white 
in  color,  and  measure  about  2.25  by  1.90.  These  fine 
large  Owls  are  sometimes  taken  alive  in  traps,  and  may 
easily  be  reared  from  the  nest ;  they  stand  confinement 
well,  and  make  interesting  pets  for  those  who  are  fond 
of  studying  the  traits  of  rapacious  birds  in  captivity. 


FIG.  16.  —  GREAT  HORNED  OWL. 


SCOPS  ASIO  :    SCREECH  OWL  J    RED  OR  MOTTLED  OWL.     89 


SCREECH   OWL:  RED  OR  MOTTLED  OWL. 

SCOPS  ASIO  (L.)  Bp. 

Chars.  A  miniature  Bubo  in  form,  with  equally  conspicuous  ear- 
tufts,  feathered  legs  and  bristly  toes.  The  plumage  differs  so 
remarkably  (and  not  according  to  age,  sex,  or  season),  that  the 
"  red,"  and  "gray  "  or  "mottled  "  Owl  were  long  supposed  to  be 
two  distinct  species.  In  the  gray  plumage,  the  bird  is  gray, 
paler  or  whitish  below,  speckled  with  blackish  above,  and  below 
blotched  with  the  same.  In  the  other  condition,  the  general  tone 
is  bright  brownish-red  above,  with  sharp  black  streaks  ;  below, 
whitish  or  fulvous,  much  variegated.  In  either  state,  the  wings 
and  tail  are  barred  with  light  and  dark  colors.  Length,  8.00- 
10.00  inches  ;  extent,  about  20.00  ;  wing,  6.50-7.00 ;  tail, 
3.00-3.50. 


FIG.  17.  — SCREECH  OWL. 


9O  STRIGID^E  I   OWLS. 

A  very  common  New  England  species,  like  the  last, 
but  strictly  nocturnal,  seeming  dazed  by  the  light  when- 
ever it  is  forced  to  fly  from  the  dark  nooks  where  it 
loves  to  pass  the  day.  The  Great  Horned  Owl,  on  the 
other  hand,  flies  well  by  day,  seeming  little  incommoded 
in  the  sunshine.  The  nest  of  this  little  species  is  in  a 
hollow  tree,  with  sticks,  leaves  or  feathers  to  receive 
the  eggs  :  these  are  four  to  six  in  number,  measuring 
about  1.40  by  1.25,  and  are  laid  usually  in  April.  The 
bird  is  one  of  those  that  comes  the  most  familiarly  about 
houses,  sometimes  even  taking  up  its  residence  in  an  out- 
building. Its  tremulous,  screeching  notes,  very  different 
from  the  deep-mouthed  hooting  of  the  larger  Owls,  are 
familiar  to  all  who  have  any  experience  with  rural 
sounds.  Like  other  Owls,  the  whole  tribe  of  which  are 
more  notable  in  such  respect  than  the  diurnal  birds  of 
prey,  the  present  species  is  very  beneficial  to  the  farmer 
by  destroying  field-mice.  It  is  indeed  to  be  regretted 
that  the  good  offices  of  Owls  are  not  more  fully  recog- 
nized. Though  "  the  mousing  Owl  "  is  proverbial,  few 
appear  to  have  learned  the  full  truth  of  the  expression. 


LONG-EARED   OWL. 
Asio   WILSONIANUS    (Less.)  Coues. 

Chars.  A  medium-sized  species,  with  conspicuous  ear-tufts,  facial 
disc  complete,  immense  external  ears,  and  feathered  feet.  Plu- 
mage above  intimately  variegated  with  dark  brown,  fulvous,  and 
whitish  ;  breast  more  fulvous,  sharply  striped  ;  belly  whiter, 
striped  and  barred  with  blackish  ;  wings  and  tail  mottled,  and 
closely  barred  with  fulvous  and  dark  brown.  Face  pale  tawny, 
with  black  spots  and  eye-patches ;  bill  and  claws  blackish. 
Length,  14.00-15.00;  extent,  36.00;  wing,  11.00-12.00;  tail, 
5.00-6.00  ;  ear-tufts  about  2  inches  long,  of  8  to  12  feathers. 


ASIO    ACCIPITRINUS  I    SHORT-EARED    OWL.  .  QI 

Resident,  and  not  uncommon  throughout  New  Eng- 
land. It  inhabits  woods  and  thickets,  and  is  seldom 
seen  abroad  in  daylight,  unless  startled  accidentally 
from  its  retreat.  Though  so  similar  in  form  to  the 
Short-eared  Owl,  and  often  found  in  marshy  and  bushy 
places  with  the  latter,  it  has  ways  of  its  own,  and  neither 
nests  on  the  ground  nor  is  partial  to  swampy  localities. 
The  nest  is  usually  in  some  thick  evergreen  tree,  and 
built  by  the  bird  itself,  though  a  deserted  crow's  or 
hawk's  nest  is  sometimes  utilized  for  the  purpose.  The 
eggs  are  laid  in  April,  numbering  from  four  to  six ;  they 
are  of  the  usual  shape  and  color,  but  quite  variable 
in  size,  varying  from  1.41  to  1.65  in  length,  by  about 
1.25  in  diameter. 

SHORT-EARED   OWL. 
Asio  ACCIPITRINUS  (Pall.)  Newt. 

Chars.  Above,  completely  variegated,  chiefly  in  streaks,  with  fulvous 
or  tawny  and  dark  brown  ;  breast  much  the  same  ;  other  under 
parts  paler,  usually  bleaching  on  the  belly,  which  is  sparsely  and 
sharply  streaked  (never  barred)  with  dark  brown  ;  feet  and  crissum 
usually  immaculate  whitish  or  pale  tawny  ;  under  surface  of  wings 
uninterruptedly  white.  Quills  of  the  wings  varied,  mostly  in  large 
pattern,  and  tail  pretty  regularly  barred,  with  the  two  colors  of 
the  upper  parts.  Facial  area  white  or  nearly  so,  but  with  large 
black  eye-patch  ;  ruff  minutely  speckled  with  fulvous  and  blackish, 
white-bordered  internally,  and  usually  with  a  blackish  patch  be- 
hind the  ear  ;  radiating  feathers  of  the  ear-flap  streaked  with 
blackish  and  fulvous.  Iris  bright  yellow  ;  bill  and  claws  dusky- 
bluish.  Feet  feathered  to  the  claws  ;  soles  perfectly  naked, 
granular,  yellowish.  External  ear-parts  extremely  large,  2  inches 
or  more  across  the  longest  way ;  ear-tufts  small,  inconspicuous, 
few-feathered.  Length  of  male,  14.50;  extent,  41.00;  wing, 
11.75;  tai'l>  6-°°;  f°ot>  to  end  °f  Diddle  claw,  3.50;  chord  of 
oilmen,  i.io.  Female  somewhat  larger. 


92  STRIGIM:  :  OWLS. 

The  Short-eared  Owl  is  one  of  the  commonest  species, 
rather  more  so  than  the  last,  and  seems  to  be  especially 
numerous  in  marshy  places  along  the  coast.  It  is  some- 
thing of  a  ground  Owl,  oftener  seen  in  low  thickets  and 
brakes  than  in  high  woods,  and  is  frequently  abroad  in 
the  daytime.  It  sometimes  gathers  in  considerable 
companies,  being  one  of  the  few  species  ever  observed 
"  in  flocks."  This  is  one  of  the  most  patient  and  persistent 
hunters  of  the  shrews  and  field-mice,  which,  when  nu- 
merous, are  a  serious  annoyance  to  the  farmer ;  and  on 
this  account  deserves  to  be  protected  and  encouraged, 
though  it  is  also  destructive  to  various  small  birds.  It 
may  sometimes  be  observed  during  the  day  quartering 
low  over  marshy  ground,  on  the  lookout  for  its  game ; 
but  is  oftener  startled  from  its  retreat  in  some  thick 
bush,  when  it  rises  as  if  confused,  and  hurries  off  for  a 
few  yards  to  pitch  down  again  out  of  sight.  The  nest 
is  usually  built  on  the  ground,  in  a  loose,  slovenly  man- 
ner, consisting  of  a  few  twigs,  grasses,  and  feathers. 
The  eggs  are  commonly  four  to  six  in  number,  laid  in 
April ;  they  are  chalky  white,  subspherical,  and  measure 
about  1.55  by  1.25. 


GREAT   GRAY   OWL. 

STRIX  CINEREA  Gm. 

Chars.  Of  largest  size  ;  length  about  2^  feet ;  extent,  4$  ;  wing,  i£  ; 
tail,  I  or  more.  Head  smooth,  without  ear-tufts  ;  facial  discs 
complete,  and  of  great  extent ;  ear-parts  moderate,  operculate  ; 
eyes  rather  small.  Tarsi  and  toes  fully  feathered.  Above,  ashy- 
brown,  mottled  in  waves  with  ashy-white  ;  below,  similar  but 
paler,  the  markings  disposed  in  streaks  on  the  breast,  elsewhere 
in  bars ;  the  great  face  discs  marked  in  concentric  rings  of 
lighter  and  darker  colors  ;  wings  and  tail  with  five  or  six  bars. 


STRIX    CINEREA  :    GREAT    GRAY    OWL.  93 

This  is  an  Arctic  species,  -decidedly  more  so  than  the 
Snowy  Owl  even,  of  infrequent  occurrence  in  northern 
New  England,  and  rarely  straggling  as  far  as  Connecticut 
in  winter  only.  The  great  size  of  the  bird  renders  it 
conspicuous  on  the  rare  occasions  when  it  favors  us 
with  a  flying  visit,  and  perhaps  most  of  its  occurrences 
become  known.  There  is  but  one  Connecticut  record, 
that  given  by  Linsley,  of  a  capture  at  Stratford, 
Jan.  6,  1843  (Am.  Journ.  Sci.,  xliv,  1843,  P-  253)-  Mr. 
Merriam  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  70)  adduces  a  Massa- 
chusetts record  from  the  History  of  Lynn,  1865,  in 
which  is  narrated  the  capture  of  a  specimen  near  Bos- 
ton in  the  winter  of  1852.  Dr.  Coues  catalogues  two 
Massachusetts  specimens  in  the  Museum  of  the  Essex 
Institute,  both  taken  in  Essex  County,  one  in  the  win- 
ter of  1866-67,  tne  other  in  February,  1859  (Pr-  Essex 
Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  260).  Mr.  Allen  adduces  several 
Massachusetts  instances  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv.,  1864,  p. 
8 1  ;  and  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  570).  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown 
speaks  of  a  specimen  in  the  collection  of  the  Portland 
Society  of  Natural  History,  found  dead  some  years 
before  on  one  of  the  islands  in  Casco  Bay ;  adding 
that  the  specimen  remained  unique  for  that  locality, 
though  he  had  also  examined  one  taken  at  Brunswick  (Pr. 
Portl.  Society,  Apr.  1882).  Mr.  Babcock  of  Sherborne 
informs  me  that  an  individual  was  shot  many  years 
ago  in  a  large  pine  swamp  near  his  residence.  Mr. 
Minot  speaks  of  one  which  he  observed  in  some 
pine  woods  near  Milton,  Mass.,  early  in  1875,  toward 
the  end  of  an  exceptionally  severe  winter  (B.  N.  E., 
l877>  P-  331)-  The  great  bird  may  be  resident  in 
Northern  New  England,  but  we  have  no  advices  of  its 
presence  there  in  summer. 


94  STRIGIDyE  :    OWLS. 

BARRED   OWL. 

STRIX  NEBULOSA  Forst. 

Chars.  Resembling  the  last  in  form,  but  much  smaller,  and  other- 
wise easily  distinguished.  Length,  about  18.00  ;  extent,  40.00  ; 
wing,  14.00  ;  tail,  9.00.  Upper  parts  ashy-brown,  barred  with 
white  and  tinged  with  fulvous  ;  under  parts  similar,  but  lighter, 
the  markings  in  cross-bars  on  the  breast,  elsewhere  in  streaks  ; 
the  wings  and  tail  barred  with  brown  and  white,  ashy,  or  tawny. 

A  rather  common  resident  species  in  New  England, 
generally  inhabiting  thick  woods,  and  not  so  frequently 
coming  under  observation  as  some  of  the  others.  It 
may  easily  be  recognized  by  its  similarity  in  form  to  the 
Gray  Owl,  having  the  same  large  smooth  head  and  im- 
mense facial  discs  ringed  with  light  and  dark  colors,  in 
connection  with  its  much  smaller  size  and  barred  breast. 
The  hooting  outcry  is  also  characteristic.  The  numbers 
of  the  birds  appear  to  decrease  with  the  clearing  off  of 
the  forests  to  which  they  are  so  much  attached,  but 
these  Owls  are  still  numerous.  The  nest  will  be  found 
in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  or  high  up  in  a  crotch  ;  the  eggs, 
to  the  number  of  three  or  four,  are  white  and  spheroidal, 
measuring  about  two  inches  in  length  by  one  and  two- 
thirds  in  breadth  ;  they  are  usually  laid  in  April.  The 
food  of  the  species,  as  of  others  of  the  family,  consists 
of  small  quadrupeds,  birds,  and  insects. 


SNOWY   OWL. 
NYCTEA  SCANDIACA  (L.)  Newt. 

Chars.     Of  large  size  ;  nearly  2  feet  long  ;  wing,  17  inches  ;  tail,  9 
or  10.     The  head  is  apparently  smooth,  but  there  are  really  small 


NYCTEA    SCANDIACA  :    SNOWY    OWL. 


95 


ear-tufts,  generally  overlooked.  Facial  discs  large  and  complete. 
Feet  densely  clothed  with  feathers.  Color  white,  with  more  or 
fewer  dark  markings,  according  to  age,  sex,  or  other  circum- 
stances ;  some  individuals  are  nearly  white,  but  the  majority  are 
fully  spotted  with  dusky,  especially  on  the  upper  parts.  The 
general  appearance,  however,  is  unm'stakable. 

Though  an  Arctic  species,  this  is  a  very  frequent 
winter  visitor  in  New 
England,  whose  ap- 
pearance is  too  com- 
mon and  too  nearly 
regular  to  require 
any  citation  of  spe- 
cial instances.  In 
some  seasons  there 
is  a  sort  of  irruption 
of  these  birds  from 
the  north,  and  we 
hear  of  their  capture 
in  all  quarters,  they! 
being  too  conspicu- 
ous both  in  size  and 
color  to  escape  atten- 
tion. Such  a  case 
occurred  in  the  win- 
ter of  1877,  as  re- 
corded by  Mr.  Ruthven  Deane  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  Jan., 
1877,  p.  9),  and  many  other  observers.  The  great  white 
bird  not  seldom  extends  its  winter  wanderings  to  the 
Middle  States.  The  summer  home  is  beyond  our  limits, 
and  extends  to  very  high  latitudes ;  but,  as  suggested 
by  Mr.  Boardman,  the  Snowy  Owl  may  yet  be  found 
breeding  in  the  woods  of  Maine. 


FIG.  18.  — SNOWY  OWL. 


96  STRIGID^E  :    OWLS. 

HAWK   OWL;   DAY   OWL. 
SURNIA  FUNEREA  (L.)  Rich,  and  Sw. 

Chars.  Dark  brown  above,  more  or  less  thickly  speckled  with 
white  ;  below,  closely  barred  with  brown  and  whitish,  the  throat 
alone  streaked ;  quills  and  tail  with  numerous  white  bars ;  face 
ashy,  margined  with  black.  Length  about  16.00  ;  extent,  32.00  ; 
wing,  9.00  ;  tail,  7.00,  graduated,  the  lateral  feathers  2  inches 
shorter  than  the  central.  Except  in  the  length  of  its  tail,  which 
produces  linear  measurements  unusual  for  a  bird  of  its  bulk  in 
this  family,  its  general  form  is  that  of  the  Snowy  Owl.  Like  that 
species,  it  is  a  bird  of  Arctic  regions,  coming  southward  in  winter, 
but  its  range  is  more  restricted,  rarely  extending  to  the  Middle 
States.  It  is  the  most  diurnal  bird  of  the  family,  ranging  abroad 
at  all  times,  and  approaches  a  hawk  more  nearly  than  any  other. 

The  Hawk  Owl  doubtless  inhabits  the  woods  of 
Northern  New  England  as  a  permanent  resident,  and 
has  actually  been  observed  in  Maine  during  the  breed- 
ing season ;  but  I  am  not  aware  of  authentic  advices,  as 
yet,  of  its  nesting  within  our  limits.  It  is  recorded  from 
each  of  the  other  States,  excepting  Rhode  Island.  In 
Connecticut,  it  was  unknown  until  1869,  when  Dr.  F.  W. 
Hall  procured  a  specimen  in  November  (Merriam,  B. 
Conn.,  1877,  p.  73).  In  Massachusetts  it  is  a  rare  and 
irregular  winter  visitor,  but  has  been  on  the  books  since 
1833  at  least;  Mr.  Allen  gives  several  instances  (Am. 
Nat.,  iii,  1869,  p.  569) ;  I  have  a  specimen  taken  near 
Amherst,  and  Mr.  Maynard  mentions  two  examples 
(Birds  E.  N.  A.,  1881,  p.  278).  Further  north,  the  bird 
becomes  one  of  regular  occurrence  in  winter.  The  nest 
is  usually  placed  in  trees  ;  it  is  composed  of  sticks,  lined 
with  hay,  grass  and  feathers  ;  the  eggs  are  four  to  six 
in  number,  1.50  to  1.62  long  X  1.20  to  1.30  in  breadth. 


N.  TENGMALMI  RICHARDSONI  I    RICHARDSON'S  OWL. 


RICHARDSON'S   OWL. 
NYCTALA  TENGMALMI  RICHARDSONI  (Bp.)  Ridg. 

Chars.  Above,  olivaceous  chocolate  brown,  spotted  with  white ; 
beneath  white,  spotted  and  streaked  with  a  brown  similar  to  the 
back,  but  a  little  darker ;  disc,  white  ;  a  white  spot  between  bill 
and  eye  ;  wings  and  tail  with  white  spots  on  both  webs,  the  latter 
with  from  8  to  10  pairs.  Bill,  light  yellow  ;  iris,  yellow  ;  tarsus 
feathered  ;  disc  complete.  Cere  not  tumid,  the  nostrils  pre- 
senting laterally  and  obliquely  oval.  Length,  10.00 ;  extent, 
21.00  to  23.00  ;  wing,  7.25  ;  tail,  4.50. 

Still  another  of  these  rare  and  shadowy  night-callers 
from  hyperborean  regions — this  time  a  little  fellow,  much 
smaller  than  any  of  the  foregoing  excepting  Scops,  though 
exceeding  the  common  "  Saw-whet  "  considerably.  It  is 
more  common  in  Northern  New  England,  where  it  is  prob- 
ably resident,  like  the  Snowy  and  Hawk  Owls,  and  whence 
it  makes  its  silent  and  irregular  way  southward  in  winter. 
The  Connecticut  record  is  single  to  date :  that  of  a  speci- 
men captured  many  years  ago  in  midwinter  at  East  Wind- 
sor Hill,  as  recorded  by  Dr.  William  Wood  in  the  Hart- 
ford Times  of  Aug.  24,  1861  (Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iv, 
1864,  p.  52;  Merriam,  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  73).  The 
Massachusetts  instances  are  several :  see,  for  instance, 
Allen,  as  just  quoted,  and  in  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  646; 
Maynard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  133  ;  and  Brewer,  Pr. 
Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P-  27I-  The  last  named  author 
says:  ''Mr.  Harry  Merrill,  writing  Feb.  14,  1879,  in- 
formed me  that  he  had  recently  procured  an  example 
of  this  species  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bangor.  It  was 
kept  alive  for  some  time,  and  Mr.  Merrill  was  interested 
to  learn  that  Mr.  Audubon  procured  the  only  living 


98  STRIGID.E  I    OWLS. 

specimen  he  had  ever  seen  of  this  species,  in  Bangor,  in 
1832.  And  Feb.  26,  1879,  Mr.  Outram  Bangs  procured 
a  female  example  near  Newton,  Mass."  In  Rhode 
Island,  the  bird  appeared  near  Providence  in  the  winter 
of  1 88 1,  as  stated  by  F.  T.  Jencks  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi, 
1 88 1,  p.  123).  The  eggs  are  described  as  measuring 
1.28  x  1.06. 


SAW-WHET   OR   ACADIAN   OWL. 
NYCTALA  ACADICA  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  A  small  Owl,  with  the  head  untufted,  the  facial  discs  com- 
plete, the  ears  operculate,  the  tarsus  longer  than  the  middle  toe, 
the  tail  nearly  even,  the  third  quill  longest,  the  first  five  emargin- 
ate.  Less  than  the  last:  length,  under  8.00;  extent,  17.00; 
wing,  5.50 ;  tail,  2.67,  thus  not  more  than  half  as  long  as  the 
wing.  Color  above  chocolate-brown,  spotted  with  white,  the 
tail  with  transverse  white  bars  ;  the  adult  with  the  facial  area 
and  forehead  variegated  with  white,  the  face  and  superciliary  line 
grayish-white,  the  lower  parts  white,  with  spots  or  streaks  of  the 
color  of  the  back  ;  the  young  with  the  facial  area  and  forehead 
dark  brown,  the  face  dusky,  the  eyebrows  pure  white,  the  lower 
parts  brown,  paler  on  the  belly,  unmarked.  Thus  similar  to  N. 
richardsoni  in  color,  but  the  bill  is  black,  with  tumid  cere,  and 
the  nostrils  open  interiorly. 

Unlike  the  three  last,  this  diminutive  Owl,  the  smallest 
of  any  to  be  found  in  the  Eastern  States,  is  a  resident 
inhabitant  of  our  country,  and  not  so  uncommon  as  its 
infrequent  capture  or  observation  might  lead  one  to 
suppose.  Being  completely  nocturnal,  and  of  such 
slight  personal  presence,  it  is  less  likely  to  be  seen  than 
are  its  queer  scraping  notes,  which  have  been  likened 
to  the  sharpening  of  saw  teeth  with  a  file,  to  be  heard 


S.  CUNICULARIA  HYPOG^A  :    BURROWING  OWL.         99 

in  the  depths  of  the  woods  the  curious  little  creature 
inhabits.  The  nest  is  usually  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree, 
where  are  laid,  in  April,  eggs  to  the  number  of  four, 
five,  or  six,  white  in  color,  and  of  the  usual  shape  for 
this  family,  measuring  only  one  inch  in  length  by  seven- 
eighths  in  diameter. 

While  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  enlarge  upon  the 
numerous  cases  of  the  occurrence  of  so  common  a  bird, 
the  reader  in  search  of  particular  instances  may  be 
referred  to  the  following  late  records,  attesting  its  con- 
stant presence  and  breeding  in  various  parts  of  New 
England:  Coues,  Pr.  Ess.  Inst.,v,  1868,  p.  260;  Brewer, 
Pr.  Bost  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  444;  Purdie,  Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  i,  1876,  p.  72;  ii,  1877,  p.  14;  Deane,  ibid.,  ii, 
1877,  p.  84;  Allen,  Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  21  ; 
Merriam,  B.  Conn.,  1877,  P-  745  Minot,  B.  N.  E.,  1877, 
p.  334;  Brewster,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881,  p.  143; 
vii,  1882,  p.  23. 

BURROWING  OWL. 
SPEOTYTO  CUNICULARIA  HYPOG^EA  (Bp.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Above,  grayish-brown,  with  white,  black-edged  spots;  below, 
tawny  white,  variegated  with  reddish-brown,  chiefly  disposed  in 
bars  ;  face  and  throat  whitish  ;  crissum  and  legs  mostly  un- 
marked ;  quills  with  numerous  paired  tawny  white  spots,  and 
tail-feathers  barred  with  the  same  ;  bill,  grayish-yellow ;  claws, 
black.  Length,  9.10  long  ;  wings,  6.50-7.50  ;  tail,  3.50-4.00.  No 
tufts  ;  facial  disc  imperfect;  tarsi  very  long,  extensively  denuded, 
bristly  like  the  toes.  Prairies  and  open  portions  of  the  United 
States  west  of  the  Mississippi;  Florida. 

Though  we  trust  our  outline  of  the  New  England 
Owls  is  not  a  "chapter  of  accidents,"  the  occurrence  of 


IOO  STRIGID.E  :   OWLS. 

the  Burrowing  Owl  in  our  midst,  with  note  of  which  we 
finish  consideration  of  the  night-birds  of  prey,  certainly 
belongs  to  such  a  category.  One  individual  of  this 
singular  species  made  its  appearance  at  Newburyport, 
in  Massachusetts,  May  4,  1875,  at  which  time  and  place 
it  was  done  to  death  by  Messrs.  H.  Joyce  and  J.  K. 


FIG.  19.  — BILLS  AND  FEET  OF  BURROWING  OWLS. 

Clifford,  as  originally  stated  by  Mr.  Ruthven  Deane  in 
the  "Rod  and  Gun"  newspaper,  vol.  vi,  May  15,  1875 
—  as  duly  repeated  by  Dr.  T.  M.  Brewer,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc., 
xvii,  1875,  p.  444;  by  Mr.  H.  D.  Minot,  B.  N.  E.,  1877, 
p.  343;  by  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen,  Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  1878,  p. 
21  — and  as  here  again  said.  Burrowing  Owls  occur  in 
Florida,  and  are  very  common  on  the  Western  plains 
where  they  live  in  prairie-dog  towns  as  well  as  in  com- 
munities by  themselves.  Varieties  of  the  same  species 
inhabit  portions  of  the  West  Indies  and  South  America. 


C.  CYANEUS  HUDSONIUS  :    MARSH  HAWK,  OR  HARRIER.      IOI 


FAMILY  FALCONID^E:  HAWKS. 

MARSH   HAWK,  OR   HARRIER. 

CIRCUS   CYANEUS   HUDSONIUS  (L.)  Schl. 

Chars.  Face  with  an  imperfect  disc,  somewhat  as  in  the  Owls,  to 
which  this  genus  is  related.  Bill  weak,  with  a  lobe  on  the  cut- 
ting edge  of  the  upper  mandible,  but  no  tooth.  Wings,  tail,  and 
feet  long  for  the  bulk  of  the  bird  ;  the  tarsi  are  scutellate  before 
and  behind,  and  twice  as  long  as  the  middle  toe  ;  nostrils  oval. 
Plumage  of  the  old  male  remarkably  different  from  that  of  the 
female  and  young.  Above,  pale  ashy  blue,  nearly  unvaried  ; 
below  nearly  white  ;  the  quills  blackish  toward  the  end.  Upper 
tail  coverts  conspicuously  white  on  both  sexes,  at  all  ages, 
female  and  young,  above,  dark  brown  streaked  with  reddish- 
brown,  below,  the  reverse  of  this  ;  tail  banded  with  these  colors. 
Length  of  male,  1 6.00-1 8.00 ;  extent,  40.00;  wing,  14.00-15.00; 
tail,  8.00-9.00  ;  female  about  2  inches  longer,  and  other  dimen- 
sions correspondingly  greater. 

The  Diurnal  Birds  of  Prey,  including  all  kinds  of 
Hawks,  Harriers,  Kites,  Falcons,  Eagles,  and  Buzzards 
(not  the  Turkey  Buzzard),  are  well  represented  in  New 
England,  where  no  fewer  than  seventeen  species  or 
varieties  are  found  —  three  of  them  of  rare  or  excep- 
tional occurrence,  the  remaining  fourteen  more  or  less 
abundant  and  generally  distributed.  The  first  species 
we  present  is  one  of  the  "ignoble"  hawks,  of  com- 
paratively little  spirit  and  ambition,  and  altogether 
little  above  the  level  of  a  "mousing  owl."  The  Harrier 
flies  at  the  most  humble  game,  feeding  chiefly  upon  field- 
mice,  shrews,  frogs,  toads,  and  insects,  and  may  usually 


102 


FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 


be  seen  quartering  low  over  the  ground  in  search  of 
such  quarry.  Though  it  has  great  sweep  of  wing,  in 
proportion  to  its  bulk  of  body,  it  seems  to  lack  the 
address,  if  not  also  the  courage,  to  cope  with  creatures 
possessing  good  resources  for  self-preservation  or  self- 
defence.  It  is  particularly  attached  to  low,  watery 
places,  where  mice  and  reptiles  most  abound;  and  in 
further  evidence  of  humility,  the  nest  is  placed  on 
the  ground,  —  an  exceptional  manner  of  nidification 


FIG.  20. —  MARSH  HAWK. 

among  Hawks.  The  nest  is  about  a  foot  in  diameter, 
and  three  inches  in  depth,  consisting  of  twigs  and 
grasses,  usually  without  special  lining.  The  eggs,  which 
are  laid  in  May,  are  four  or  five  in  number,  measuring 
(on  an  average,  for  they  vary  much)  about  1.85  X  1.45. 
They  are  pale  greenish-white,  without  bold  marking, 
usually  almost  uniform,  but  sometimes  with  dull  obscure 
spots  and  blotches  of  very  pale  brown,  with  still  paler 
neutral  tint  or  lavender  shell-spots. 

The   Harrier  is  one   of   the  common  New  England 
Hawks,  present  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year  if 


ELANOIDES  FORFICATUS  I    SWALLOW-TAILED  KITE.        IO3 

not  the  whole,  but  oftenest  seen  in  spring,  summer,  and 
fall,  as  it  moves  off  when  the  waters  close,  and  the  frogs 
and  mice  are  in  their  winter  quarters.  The  opposite 
sexes  are  often  mistaken  for  different  species,  but  even 
our  brief  description  should  suffice  to  correct  such  error. 


SWALLOW-TAILED   KITE. 
ELANOIDES  FORFICATUS  (L.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Head,  neck,  and  underparts,  white ;  back,  wings,  and  tail, 
lustrous  black.  Tail  a  foot  or  more  long,  deeply  forficate  ;  wing, 
15-18,  pointed;  feet  small,  greenish- blue ;  claws  pale;  tarsi 
reticulate  and  feathered  half-way  down  in  front;  toes  hardly 
webbed ;  nostrils  broadly  oval.  A  beautiful  bird,  common  in 
the  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  where  it  is  a  marked  feature 
of  the  scenery  in  regions  where  the  sunbeams  are  redolent  of  the 
orange  and  magnolia,  and  where  the  air  reeks  with  the  pestilent 
miasm  of  the  moss-shrouded  swamps  that  sleep  in  perpetual 
gloom.  But,  imbued  with  a  spirit  of  adventure,  and  possessing 
unequalled  powers  of  flight,  it  often  wanders  far  from  its  southern 
home  —  to  the  bleak  and  windy  fields  of  Dakota,  the  tamarack 
fastnesses  of  Minnesota,  the  green  slopes  and  gray  crags  of  our 
own  beloved  New  England. 

Its  occurrence  in  this  portion  of  the  United  States  is, 
however,  rare  and  casual.  It  was  ascribed  to  Vermont, 
no  doubt  correctly,  by  a  writer  of  the  last  century,  and 
has  been  shot  on  Long  Island.  Coming  to  later  dates 
we  find  Mr.  Allen  speaking  of  its  appearance  at  Whately, 
Mass.,  about  1868  (Am.  Nat,  iii,  1870,  p.  645)  ;  and  Mr. 
Merriam  cites  two  Connecticut  instances  (B.  Conn., 
J877,  p.  76).  One  of  these  occurrences  was  at  Lyme, 
New  London  Co.,  July  2,  1877  ;  the  other  in  the  vicinity 
of  Portland,  in  the  summer  of  1861.  Although  the  bird 


IO4  FALCONID^E  I    HAWKS. 

was  shot  in  neither  of  these  cases,  we  presume  there 
could  be  no  mistake  in  identifying  an  individual  of  so 
remarkable  a  species. 


SHARP-SHINNED   HAWK. 
ACCIPITER  FUSCUS  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Bill  short,  stout,  very  high  at  base  for  its  length,  without 
tooth.  Legs  extremely  slender.  Tarsus  feathered  but  a  little 
way  down  in  front,  the  bare  portion  longer  than  the  middle  toe ; 
tarsal  scutella  frequently  fused.  Toe,  long,  slender,  much  webbed 
at  base,  and  padded  underneath.  Fourth  quill  longest,  second 
shorter  than  sixth,  first  very  short.  The  ordinary  plumage  is 
dark  brown  above  (deepest  on  the  head,  the  occipital  feathers 
showing  white  when  disturbed)  with  an  ashy  or  plumbeous  shade 
which  increases  with  age,  till  the  general  cast  is  quite  bluish-ash  ; 
below,  white  or  whitish,  variously  streaked  with  dark  brown  and 
rusty,  finally  changing  to  brownish-red  (palest  behind  and  slightly 
ashy  across  the  breast)  with  the  white  then  only  showing  in  nar- 
row cross-bars  ;  chin,  throat,  and  crissum  mostly  white  with 
blackish  pencilling  ;  wings  and  tail  barred  with  ashy  and  brown 
or  blackish,  the  quills  white-barred  basally,  the  tail  whitish- 
tipped.  Bill  dark ;  claws  black  ;  cere  and  feet  yellow.  Length 
of  male,  10.00-12.00;  extent,  22.00;  wing,  6.00-7.00;  tail,  5.00- 
6.00  square  ;  female  an  inch  or  two  longer,  and  correspond- 
ingly larger  in  other  dimensions. 

This  spirited  and  dashing  little  Hawk  is  one  of  New 
England's  common  species,  especially  in  the  breeding 
season ;  for  it  chiefly  withdraws  from  our  limits  during 
the  colder  months,  probably  not  passing  the  winter 
except  in  our  southern  districts.  It  is  commonly  known 
as  the  "  Pigeon  Hawk ; "  but  that  name  belongs  prop- 
erly to  the  small  species  of  Falco  (not  Accipiter)  de- 


ACCIPITER  COOPERI  :    COOPER  S    HAWK.  1 05 

scribed  beyond  as  F.  columbarius,  and  local  naturalists 
should  be  careful  to  make  the  proper  discrimination, 
especially  when  they  speak  of  the  nest  and  eggs.  The 
present  is  much  more  abundant  than  the  true  Pigeon 
Hawk,  and  in  most  sections  one  of  our  best  known 
birds  of  prey.  It  preys  chiefly  upon  small  birds  and 
quadrupeds,  captured  in  the  dashing  manner  of  all  the 
species  of  this  group,  and,  like  its  small  allies,  feeds  to 
some  extent  upon  insects ;  the  size  of  its  quarry  is  some- 
times not  inferior  to  that  of  the  bold  hunter  itself,  and 
nothing  can  surpass  the  impetuosity  with  which  this 
Hawk  makes  its  attacks.  It  nests  in  trees,  or  on  rocks, 
preferably  the  former,  laying  four  or  five  eggs.  They 
are  difficult  of  concise  description,  because  so  variable. 
The  white  ground-color  has  often  a  livid  or  even  purplish 
tint,  and  is  marked,  often  so  thickly  as  to  be  obscured, 
with  large,  irregular  splashes  of  various  shades  of  brown, 
interminably  changeable  in  number,  size,  and  pattern, 
sometimes  inclining  to  form  masses  or  a  wreath,  some- 
times more  evenly  distributed.  The  egg  is  of  nearly 
equal  size  at  both  ends,  and  measures  about  1.45  by 
1.15.  The  bird  is  a  late  breeder,  laying  commonly  the 
latter  part  of  May,  and  early  in  June.  The  nest  is 
usually  placed  high  in  a  tree,  preferably  an  evergreen, 
and  built  of  sticks  or  twigs,  in  the  crotch  of  a  limb,  but 
sometimes  the  deserted  nest  of  a  squirrel  is  selected 
and  repaired  to  suit. 

COOPER'S    HAWK;    CHICKEN  HAWK. 
ACCIPITER  COOPERI  Bp. 

Chars.     Coloration  and  changes  of  plumage  the  same  as  those  of 
A.  fuscus.     Form  stouter,  and  size  much  greater.     Feet  moder- 


io6 


FALCONID^E  :    HAWKS. 


ately  stout ;  bare  portion  of  tarsus  shorter  than  middle  toe  ;  the 
tarsal  scutella  always  distinct.  Tail  a  little  rounded.  Length 
of  male,  16.00-1800  ;  extent,  about  30;  wing,  9.00-10.00;  tail, 
7.00-8.00  ;  female  averaging  about  2  inches  longer  than  the  male, 
the  wing  and  tail  an  inch  longer.  In  this  species  the  whole  foot, 
though  relatively  shorter  than  that  of  A.fuscus,  is  four  inches  or 
more  in  length  ;  infuscus  the  same  part  is  only  3.50,  or  less. 

Cooper's  Hawk  is  one  of  our  most  abundant  species, 
particularly  in  the  lower  tier  of  States;  it  is  chiefly  a 


FIG.  2i.  — BILL  AND  FOOT  OF  COOPER'S  HAWK,  nat.  size. 

summer  resident,  but  many  individuals  remain  through 
the  winter.  For  audacity  and  address  in  capturing  birds 
and  quadrupeds  of  considerable  size,  it  is  surpassed  by 
few  of  its  tribe,  while  its  physique  is  sufficiently  power- 
ful to  enable  it  to  play  havoc  with  domestic  poultry.  Its 
common  name  of  Chicken  Hawk  is  earned  by  its  exploits 
in  the  barn-yard,  where  its  raids  are  no  less  frequent 
than  successful.  It  not  seldom  strikes  down  birds 
bulkier  than  itself,  and  in  fact  too  heavy  for  it  to  fly 
away  with. 

Numbers  additional  to  those  that  winter  with  us  make 
their  appearance  in  March,  and  it  is  not  till  the  following 


ACCIPITER    COOPERI  :    COOPER  S    HAWK.  TO/ 

November  that  the  visitants  move  southward.  The 
birds  pair  in  April,  and  lay  the  latter  part  of  this  month 
or  early  in  May.  The  nest  is  usually  high  in  a  tree, 
preferably  an  evergreen,  resembling  that  of  a  Crow  ;  the 
birds  usually  build  for  themselves,  but  sometimes  fit  up 
a  Crow's  nest,  or  the  nest  of  some  other  Hawk,  to  suit 
their  purposes.  They  appear  to  be  devoted  and  assidu- 
ous progenitors,  if  the  way  they  persist  in  their  efforts, 
under  discouraging  circumstances,  be  taken  as  any 
criterion.  More  than  one  instance  has  been  recorded 
of  their  laying  at  least  thrice,  when  their  nest  has  been 
repeatedly  robbed.  Three,  four  or  five  eggs  may  be 
found  in  the  nest.  They  measure  from  1.80  by  1.55  to 
2. 10  by  i. 60  —  figures  showing  the  variation  both  in  size 
and  shape — they  average  about  1.90  by  1.50.  They 
resemble  those  of  the  Marsh  Hawk  so  closely  as  to  be 
not  certainly  distinguishable,  but  they  are  usually  more 
globular,  and  with  a  more  granulated  shell.  The  great- 
est diameter  is  at  or  very  near  the  middle  ;  difference  in 
shape  of  the  two  ends  is  rarely  appreciable.  They  are 
usually  more  uniform  in  color  than  those  of  most  hawks, 
normally  resembling  the  pale,  scarcely-marked  examples 
occasionally  laid  by  most  species.  The  ground-color  is 
a  white,  faintly  tinted  with  pale  bluish  or  greenish- 
gray ;  if  marked,  it  is  with  faint,  sometimes  almost 
obsolete,  blotches  of  drab,  liable  to  be  overlooked  with- 
out close  inspection  ;  only  an  occasional  specimen  is 
found  with  decided,  though  still  dull  and  sparse,  mark- 
ings of  pale  brown. 


IO8  FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 

AMERICAN  GOSHAWK. 

ASTUR   ATRICAPILLUS    (WHs.)   Bp. 

Chars.  Adult,  dark  bluish-slate  blackening  on  the  head,  with  a 
white  superciliary  stripe  ;  tail  with  four  broad  dark  bars ;  below, 
closely  barred  with  white  and  pale  slate,  and  sharply  streaked 
with  blackish.  Young,  dark  brown  above,  the  feathers  with  pale 
edges,  streaked  with  tawny-brown  on  the  head  and  cervix ; 
below  fulvous-white  with  oblong  brown  markings.  Female  2  feet 
long  ;  wing,  14  inches ;  tail,  1 1  ;  male  smaller.  A  large,  power- 
ful, and,  in  perfect  plumage,  a  very  handsome  hawk,  inhabiting 
northern  North  America  ;  the  northern  half  of  the  United  States 
chiefly  in  winter. 

1  i.  s  noble  hawk,  one  of  the  handsomest  birds  of  the 
family  when  in  perfect  plumage,  is  a  decidedly  boreal 
species,  entirely  wanting  in  the  southern  portions  of  the 
United  States,  appearing  only  in  winter,  and  in  small 
numbers,  in  the  middle  districts,  but  common  along  our 
northern  frontier.  According  to  the  records  examined, 
it  is,  as  a  rule,  rare  in  Southern  New  England,  where, 
however,  it  appears  some  winters  in  considerable  num- 
bers. Mr.  Allen  remarks  that  it  was  common  in 
Massachusetts  in  the  winter  of  1859-' 60;  and  Mr. 
Samuels  states  that  the  same  season  he  received  a  dozen 
or  fifteen  specimens  from  the  vicinity  of  Boston.  The 
only  region  in  the  United  States  where  it  is  reported  as 
regularly  resident  is  Northern  New  England,  where, 
both  Mr.  Boardman  and  Prof.  Verrill  state,  it  is  of 
common  occurrence,  and  breeds.  But  it  has  been  seen 
in  summer  in  Massachusetts,  and  doubtless  breeds  in 
that  State.  Mr.  Maynard  describes  the  eggs  as  three 
or  four  in  number,  rather  spherical  in  shape,  of  a 


FALCO  GYRFALCO  I  GYRFALCONS  OR  JERFALCONS.   IOQ 

bluish-white  color,  either  immaculate  or  finely  mottled 
with  pale  reddish-brown  ;  the  size,  2.30  by  1.82  to  2.32 
by  1.92.  According  to  Dr.  Brewer,  the  egg  of  the 
Goshawk  is  2^6  long  by  ijf  broad,  nearly  spherical, 
roughly  granulated,  soiled  white,  with  a  faint  bluish 
shade,  "marked  irregularly  with  large  but  quite  faint 
blotches  of  drab  and  yellowish-brown."  It  thus  closely 
resembles  that  of  Cooper's  Hawk,  differing  chiefly  in  its 
larger  size ;  and  the  nidification  is  represented  as  being 
the  same  in  essential  particulars.  In  the  nature  of  its 
prey,  its  mode  of  securing  it,  its  general  habits  and 
nature,  we  find  it  also  much  the  same,  the  only  differ- 
ence resulting  from  its  superior  prowess,  if  not  more 
ferocious  nature. 


GYRFALCONS  OR   JERFALCONS. 
FALCO  GYRFALCO  L. 

Chars.  Tarsus  feathered  fully  half-way  down  in  front,  with  only  a 
narrow  bare  strip  behind,  irregularly  reticulate  on  the  bare  parts  ; 
longer  than  the  middle  toe.  First  quill  shorter  than  the  third ; 
second  quill  longest ;  first  alone  decidedly  emarginate  on  the 
inner  web.  Upward  of  24.00  long  ;  wing,  about  16.00 ;  tail,  10.00. 
Bill  with  a  sharp  tooth  on  cutting  edge  of  upper  mandible  ;  the 
end  of  the  under  mandible  notched  or  truncate.  Nostrils  with 
a  centric  tubercle.  Color  white,  with  dark  markings,  much  as  in 
the  Snowy  Owl ;  or,  ash-colored  with  numerous  lighter  bars  ;  or, 
quite  blackish.  Young,  longitudinally  striped  on  under  parts. 
An  arctic  Falcon  of  circumpolar  distribution,  in  this  country 
reaching  the  Northern  States.  It  is  split  into  several  varieties, 
which,  however,  do  not  seem  to  be  strictly  geographical,  and 
concerning  which  ornithologists  are  singularly  agreed  to  dis- 
agree —  inter  negotia  talia,  cuique  suum.  In  var.  candicans, 
which  is  the  best  marked  form,  inhabiting  North  Greenland  and 


I  IO  FALCONID^:  :    HAWKS. 

other  high  latitudes,  the  white  predominates  over  the  dark  mark- 
ings; the  bill  and  feet  are  whitish.  This  form  is  probably  never 
seen  in  the  United  States.  In  var.  islandicus,  dark  markings 
predominate  ;  the  bill  and  claws  are  dark ;  the  crown  is  lighter 
than  the  back,  and  the  dark  moustaches  are  slight.  This  form 
occurs  in  New  England,  as  a  rare  winter  apparition.  The  var. 
sacer,  the  North  American  representative  of  F.  gyrfalco  of 
Northern  Europe,  is  like  the  last,  but  with  the  crown  darker  than 
the  back,  and  the  moustaches  heavy ;  it  is  believed  to  have  been 
seen  in  New  England.  Var.  obsoletus  is  still  darker,  quite 
blackish  ;  this  form  even  breeds  in  New  England. 

Dark-colored  Gyrfalcons  are  of  occasional  occurrence 
in  New  England,  notes  to  which  effect  run  many  years 
back  in  the  history  of  the  subject.  Of  late,  one  form, 
the  darkest  of  all,  has  been  ascertained  to  reside  in 
Northern  New  England.  Specimens  supposed  to  repre- 
sent two  other  varieties  have  also  been  taken  at  various 
times.  The  form  candicans  has  apparently  never  oc- 
curred, though  the  name  has  been  repeatedly  attached 
to  New  England  examples  of  Gyrfalcon. 

Mr.  Purdie  has  obligingly  looked  up  the  later  records 
with  the  following  result : 

F.  gyrfalco  obsoletus.  Massachusetts,  two  instances  : 
Breed's  Island,  Boston  Harbor,  Oct.,  1876,  Cory,  Nuttall 
Bull.,  ii,  1877,  p.  27;  Essex  County,  Purdie,  ibid.,  iv, 
1879,  P-  I^9-  Dumerston,  Vermont,  a  rare  resident, 
Brewer,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist,  xvii,  1875,  P-  444- 
Calais,  Me.,  Brewer,  ibid.,  xix,  1878,  p.  306;  Boardman, 
Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  ix,  1862,  p.  122,  under  name 
of  "  F.  candicans." 

F.  gyrfalco  sacer  (Forst.)  Maine,  Piscataquis  Co.,  one 
instance,  believed  to  be  its  first  recognized  occurrence 
in  Eastern  U.  S.,  certainly  the  first  in  New  England  : 
Purdie,  Nutt.  Bull.,  iv,  1879,  P-  188.  (Does  the  "  F. 


FALCO    PEREGRINUS  :    DUCK    HAWK.  Ill 

gyrfalco"  of  Allen,  Bull.  Essex  Inst.  x,  1878,  p.  21,  No. 
164,  belong  here  or  to  the  next  form  ?) 

F.  gyrfalco  islandicus.  Rhode  Island,  one  specimen, 
near  Providence,  winter  of  1864-' 5  :  Allen,  Am.  Nat., 
iii,  1869,  p.  513  ;  this  specimen,  given  by  Allen  as  F. 
sacer,  has  since  been  identified  with  islandicus ;  see 
Hist.  N.  A.  Birds,  iii,  1874,  pp.  114,  115. 

Here  may  belong  also  the  following  records  :  F. 
islandicus,  Putnam,  Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  i,  1856,  p.  226, 
Seekonk  Plains,  Mass,  (same  record  as  quoted  by  Allen, 
Pr.  Essex  Inst.  iv,  1864,  p.  81,  under  name  of  F.  candicans, 
and  in  part  the  same  as  quoted  by  Coues,  Pr.  Essex 
Inst.,  v,  1868,  p.  254,  under  name  of  F.  sacer).  F.  candi- 
cans,  Verrill,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iii,  1862,  p.  139;  "not  un- 
common "  at  Norway,  Me.  F.  sacer,  Maynard,  Nat. 
Guide,  1870,  p.  134,  and  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist., 
xiv,  1872,  p.  382.  Hierofalco  gyrfalco  islandicus,  Brown, 
Pr.  Portland  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Apr.  1882;  Portland,  Me. 


DUCK  HAWK:     PEREGRINE  FALCON. 
FALCO  PEREGRINUS  Tunstall. 

Chars.  Tarsus  feathered  but  a  little  way  above  in  front,  not  longer 
than  middle  toe.  First  quill  not  shorter  than  third;  second 
longest ;  first  alone  decidedly  emarginate  on  inner  web. 
Nostril  with  a  central  tubercle;  bill  toothed  as  in  all  the  true 
Falcons.  Length  about  18  inches;  wing,  13.00-14.00;  tail,  7.00- 
8.00.  Above,  blackish-ash,  with  more  or  less  evident  pale  edg- 
ing of  the  feathers.  Forehead  and  under  parts  white  with  more 
or  less  fulvous  tinge,  and  blackish  transverse  bars ;  conspicuous 
black  cheek  patches.  Young  with  the  upper  parts  browner,  the 
tawny  shade  below  stronger,  the  under  parts  striped  lengthwise. 


H2  FALCONIM:  :  HAWKS. 

The  Peregrine  occurs  at  intervals  in  all  suitable  places 
in  North  America,  and  it  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that 
its  extensive  breeding  range  should  have  only  lately  been 
ascertained.  Mr.  Allen,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr.  C. 
W.  Bennett  and  Dr.  W.  Wood,  of  East  Windsor  Hill, 
Connecticut,  have  been  conspicuous  in  elaborating  the 
history  of  the  species,  and  especially  in  establishing  the 
fact  that  it  regularly  breeds  on  several  of  the  mountains 
in  and  near  the  Connecticut  River  Valley.  Mr.  Board- 
man  reports  the  same  item  from  Grand  Menan,  where, 
he  says,  the  bird  is  resident,  and  regularly  breeds  on  the 


FIG.  22.  — DUCK  HAWK. 

cliffs.  Dr.  Wood,  in  the  Hartford  Times  of  June  29, 
1 86 1,  states  that  four  nearly  fledged  young  were  taken 
from  a  nest  on  Talcott  Mountain,  near  Hartford,  June  i, 
1 86 1,  the  female  parent  being  shot.  Writing  in  1864 
(Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iv,  1864,  p.  50),  Mr,  Allen  states  that 
Mr.  Bennett  took  young  birds,  "  a  few  years  since,"  on 
Mount  Tom,  near  Springfield,  Massachusetts.  Shortly 
afterward,  Mr.  Allen  announced  the  discovery  of  the  eggs 
by  Mr.  Bennett,  on  Mount  Tom,  April  19,  1864;  these 
were  the  first  known  to  have  been  procured  in  New 
England,  or,  indeed,  in  the  United  States.  The  unusual 
interest  attaching  to  his  article  induces  us  to  quote  at 
some  length : 


FALCO    PEREGRINUS  :    DUCK   HAWK.  113 

"  Although  the  Duck  Hawk  has  been  long  known  to 
breed  at  the  localities  in  Massachusetts  mentioned  above 
[Mounts  Tom  and  Holyoke],  those  conversant  with  the 
fact  were  not  aware  that  any  special  interest  was  attached 
to  it,  or  that  its  eggs  and  breeding-habits  were  very  little 
known  to  ornithologists  ;  and  so,  until  very  recently,  no 
particular  efforts  have  been  made  to  procure  the  eggs. 
Mr.  Bennett,  becoming  aware  of  this,  resolved  to  pro- 
cure the  eggs.  He  accordingly  visited  Mount  Tom 
for  this  purpose,  April  6th  of  the  present  year  [1864], 
when  he  searched  the  whole  ridge  of  the  mountain,  dis- 
.covered  the  old  birds  and  the  particular  part  they  most 
frequented,  and  also  the  site  of  a  nest,  where  the  young 
had  been  raised.  The  old  birds  were  continually  near 
this  spot,  and  manifested  much  solicitude  when  it  was  ap- 
proached, often  flying  within  six  or  eight  rods,  and  once 
the  female  came  within  three,  screaming  and  thrusting 
out  her  talons,  with  an  expression  of  great  rage  and 
fierceness.  The  birds  did  not  appear  at  all  shy,  being 
easily  approached  quite  nearly,  though,  in  walking,  the 
cracking  of  sticks  and  the  clinking  of  splinters  of  trap- 
rock  made  no  little  noise.  One  of  the  birds  appeared  to 
keep  close  to  the  eyrie,  and  both  would  approach  when- 
ever it  was  visited,  screaming  at  and  menacing  the  in- 
truder, notwithstanding  that  at  that  time  there  were  no 
eggs.  Mr.  Bennett,  suspecting  that  incubation  had  com- 
menced, visited  the  locality  again  on  the  Qth,  but  only 
saw  the  old  nest,  the  birds  behaving  as  before.  Ten  days 
later  he  made  another  visit,  and,  creeping  carefully  to  the 
summit  of  the  cliff,  at  a  point  near  the  eyrie  already 
spoken  of,  he  saw  the  female,  on  looking  over  the  cliff, 
sitting  on  the  nest,  and  but  five  or  six  yards  distant. 
She  eyed  him  fiercely  for  an  instant,  and  then,  scrambling 


ii4  FALCONIM:  :  HAWKS. 

from  the  nest  to  the  edge  of  the  narrow  shelf  supporting 
it,  launched  into  the  air.  In  a  twinkling  Mr.  Bennett's 
unerring  aim  sent  her  tumbling  dead  at  the  foot  of  the 
precipice,  several  hundred  feet  below.  The  nest  con- 
tained four  eggs,  which  were  soon  safely  secured,  and 
the  body  of  the  female  was  obtained  from  the  foot  of  the 
cliff.  The  male  soon  coming  about  was  shot  at,  but  he 
was  too  shy  to  come  within  range,  excepting  once,  when 
the  gun  was  being  reloaded.  The  eggs  were  all  laid 
after  April  9,  and  their  contents  showed,  April  19,  that 
they  had  been  incubated  but  a  day  or  two.  Incubation 
seems,  in  this  case,  to  have  commenced  several  weeks 
later  than  usual,  which  may  have  been  owing  to  the  late 
snows  and  unusual  coldness  of  the  weather  this  year  dur- 
ing the  first  half  of  April. 

"  The  situation  of  the  eyrie  was  near  the  highest  part 
of  the  mountain,  about  one-third  of  the  length  of  the 
mountain  from  its  south  end,  on  a  narrow  shelf  in  the 
rock,  eight  or  ten  feet  from  the  top  of  a  nearly  perpen- 
dicular cliff,  150  or  200  feet  in  height,  and  was  inacces- 
ible  except  to  a  bold  climber,  and  at  one  particular  point. 
The  nest  was  merely  a  slight  excavation,  sufficient  to 
contain  the  eggs  ;  no  accessory  material  had  been  added. 
The  site  had  been  previously  occupied,  and  probably  for 
several  years ;  and  for  weeks  before  the  eggs  were  laid 
was  carefully  guarded  by  the  bold  and  watchful  birds." 

These  four  eggs  averaged  2.22  long  by  1.68  broad,  with 
2.22  by  1.71,  and  2.16  by  1.65  as  maxima  and  minima,  re- 
spectively. The  smallest  was  larger  than  the  one  meas- 
ured by  Dr.  Brewer  (2.00  by  1.56),  which  he  obtained  in 
Labrador.  They  also  varied  considerably  in  contour,  and 
in  heaviness  and  extent  of  coloration  they  showed  a  series 
from  the  darkest  and  most  nearly  uniform  to  the  lightest 


FALCO    PEREGRINUSI    DUCK    HAWK.  11$ 

and  most  sparsely  marked,  in  which  latter  the  contrast 
between  the  white  ground  and  the  blotches  was  strik- 
ing. Of  the  darkest  egg  the  writer  says  :  "  The  gen- 
eral color  is  chocolate-brown,  darker  and  more  dense  and 
uniform  about  the  ends,  the  part  about  the  middle  being 
lighter,  varied  with  small  irregular  blotches  and  specks  of 
a  darker  tint  than  the  ground  color.  The  color  of  the 
smaller  end  is  a  nearly  uniform  dull  red  ochre.  There  is 
also  an  irregular  belt  of  scattered  and  apparently  very 
superficial  blotches  of  very  dark  brown  or  nearly  black." 
Two  other  eggs,  as  already  mentioned,  graded  toward 
the  lightest,  which  is  thus  described  :  "  The  greater  end 
of  the  egg,  which  in  the  egg  of  most  birds  is  the  end  most 
subject  to  markings  and  to  the  greatest  depth  of  color, 
is  white,  sprinkled  sparingly  with  reddish  specks ;  while  the 
smaller  end  is  deep  bright  brick-red,  here  and  there  re- 
lieved by  small  specks  and  patches  of  white  ground  color. 
About  the  middle  of  the  egg  the  colors  are  in  more  equal 
proportions,  the  white  patches  becoming  larger  on  the 
smaller  end  toward  the  middle,  and  the  red  patches  on 
the  larger  end  increase  toward  the  same  point,  where  the 
colors  meet  and  become  mixed  in  irregular  patches  of 
various  sizes,  from  mere  dots  to  blotches." 

Mr.  Allen  continues  the  subject  in  his  latter  communi- 
cation to  the  American  Naturalist  (iii,  1869,  p.  514). 
"  One  or  more  pairs  of  these  birds  have  been  seen  about 
Mounts  Tom  and  Holyoke  every  season  since  the  first 
discovery  of  their  eggs  at  the  former  locality,  in  1864. 
Mr.  Bennett  has  since  carefully  watched  them,  and  his 
frequent  laborious  searches  for  their  nests  have  been 
well  rewarded.  In  1866  he  took  a  second  set  of  eggs, 
three  in  number,  from  the  eyrie  previously  occupied. 
In  1867  the  male  bird  was  killed  late  in  April,  and  this 


Il6  FALCONID.E  I    HAWKS. 

apparently  prevented  their  breeding  there  that  year,  as 
they  probably  otherwise  would  have  done ;  at  least  no 
nest  was  that  year  discovered.  In  1868  Hawks  of  this 
species  were  seen  about  the  mountains,  and,  although 
they  reared  their  young  there,  all  effort  to  discover  their 
nest  was  ineffectual.  The  present  year  (1869)  they 
commenced  to  lay  in  the  old  nesting-place,  but  as  they 
were  robbed  when  but  one  egg  had  been  deposited,  they 
deserted  it,  and  chose  a  site  still  more  inaccessible. 
Here  they  were  equally  unfortunate  ;  for,  during  a  visit 
to  the  mountain  in  company  with  Mr.  Bennett,  April  28, 
we  had  the  pleasure  of  discovering  their  second  eyrie, 
and  from  which,  with  considerable  difficulty,  three  freshly- 
laid  eggs  were  obtained.  Not  discouraged  by  this 
second  misfortune,  they  nested  again,  this  time  de- 
positing their  eggs  in  the  old  eyrie,  from  which  all, 
excepting  the  last  set  of  eggs,  have  been  obtained. 
Again  they  were  unfortunate,  Mr.  Bennett  remov- 
ing their  second  set  of  eggs,  three  in  number,  May  23, 
at  which  time  incubation  had  just  commenced.  The 
birds  remained  about  the  mountain  all  the  summer, 
and,  from  the  anxiety  they  manifested  in  August,  it 
appears  not  improbable  that  they  laid  a  third  time,  and 
at  this  late  period  had  unfledged  young. 

See  also  the  interesting  article  by  Dr.  Wood  in  the 
American  Naturalist,  v,  1871,  p.  82.  Our  latest  accounts 
of  the  nidification  are  given  by  Mr.  F.  H.  Knowlton  in 
the  Nuttall  Bulletin,  v,  1880,  p.  57,  from  observations 
made  at  Brandon,  Vermont,  where  a  pair  of  Duck  Hawks 
are  known  to  have  bred  for  more  than  twenty  years. 

As  to  the  distribution  of  the  Duck  Hawk  in  New 
England  there  is  little  to  note,  the  bird  being  of  general 
though  infrequent  or  irregular  occurrence,  excepting  in 


FALCO    COLUMBARIUS  :    PIGEON    HAWK.  1 1/ 

the  particular  localities  to  which  it  happens  to  resort 
to  breed.  Mr.  Allen  cites  it  for  Massachusetts  as  a 
"  rare  resident ;  more  common  in  winter  than  in  sum- 
mer, and  along  the  coast  than  in  the  interior."  Its 
breeding  in  Connecticut,  where,  however,  it  is  not  a 
common  bird,  has  already  been  noted.  Mr.  N.  C. 
Brown  has  lately  instanced  the  only  case  of  its  occur- 
rence near  Portland,  which  has  come  to  his  knowledge. 


PIGEON  FALCON  :     PIGEON  HAWK. 
FALCO  COLUMBARIUS  L. 

Chars.  Tarsus  scarcely  feathered  above,  with  the  plates  in  front 
enlarged,  appearing  like  a  double  row  of  alternating  scutella  (and 
often  with  a  few  true  scutella  at  base)  ;  i  stand  2d  quills  emargi- 
nate  on  inner  web.  Adult  male  above  ashy-blue,  sometimes  al- 
most blackish,  sometimes  much  paler  ;  below  pale  fulvous,  or 
ochraceous,  whitish  on  the  throat,  the  breast  and  sides  with  large 
oblong  dark  brown  spots  with  black  shaft  lines  ;  the  tibiae  reddish, 
streaked  with  brown ;  inner  webs  of  primaries  with  about  eight 
transverse  white  or  whitish  spots  ;  tail  tipped  with  white,  and 
with  the  outer  feather  whitening ;  with  a  broad  subterminal 
black  zone  and  3-4  black  bands  alternating  with  whitish  ;  cere 
greenish-yellow,  feet  yellow.  Female  with  the  upper  parts  ashy- 
brown  ;  the  tail  with  4-5  indistinct  whitish  bands.  Length,  about 
13.00;  wing,  8.00;  tail,  5.00;  male  smaller.  Observe  that  Acci- 
piterfuscus  is  also  called  "  pigeon  hawk." 

According  to  Dr.  Brewer,  this  spirited  little  falcon  is 
a  migratory  visitant  in  Southern,  and  a  summer  resident 
in  Northern  New  England.  Dr.  Coues  says  :  "  Gener- 
ally distributed,  not  abundant ;  resident ;  breeds  at  least 
as  far  south  as  Massachusetts.  Individuals  are  of  general 
occurrence  throughout  New  England."  Mr.  J.  N.  Clark 


Il8  FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 

records  it  from  Saybrook,  Ct,  "as  very  common  in 
the  migrations."  Mr.  Allen  says  for  Massachusetts : 
"  rather  rare,  chiefly  occurring  in  spring,  fall,  and  win- 
ter ; "  and  Mr.  Merriam  says  :  "  that  in  Connecticut,  it 
is  not  uncommon  in  spring  and  fall,  and  has  been  ob- 
served in  May,  June,  and  July,  with  the  inference  of  its 
breeding  in  that  state." 

There  has  been  so  much  doubt  and  uncertainty  regard- 
ing the  eggs  of  this  Falcon,  that  we  are  the  more  pleased 
to  offer  an  unquestionable  description,  derived  from  ex- 
amination of  specimens  in  the  Smithsonian.  The  size 
varies  from  1.50  by  1.30  to  i.Soby  1.30  —  figures  also 
indicating  the  range  of  variation  in  shape,  some  being 
subspherical,  others  elongate-oval.  Coloration  ranges 
from  a  nearly  uniform  deep  rich  brown  (chestnut  or 
burnt  sienna),  to  whitish  or  white  only,  marked  with  a 
few  indistinct  dots  of  dull  grayish  or  drab.  Such  ex- 
tremes are  connected  by  every  degree  ;  a  yellowish-brown 
ground-color,  irregularly  splashed  with  rich  ruddy  brown, 
is  the  usual  style.  The  markings  may  be  very  evenly 
distributed,  or  mostly  gathered  in  a  wreath  around  one 
or  the  other  end,  or  even  both  ends. 


RUSTY-CROWNED  FALCON:     SPARROW 
HAWK. 

FALCO  SPARVERIUS  L. 

Chars.  Crown  ashy-blue,  with  a  chestnut  patch,  sometimes  small 
or  altogether  wanting,  sometimes  occupying  nearly  all  the  crown  ; 
conspicuous  black  maxillary  and  auricular  patches,  which  with 
three  others  around  the  nape  make  seven  black  places  in  all, 
but  a  part  of  them  often  obscure  or  wanting ;  back  cinnamon 
brown,  in  the  male  with  a  few  black  spots  or  none,  in  the  female 


FALCO    SPARVERIUS  :    SPARROW    HAWK.  IIQ 

with  numerous  black  bars  ;  wing  coverts  in  the  male  ashy-blue, 
with  or  without  black  spots,  in  the  female  like  the  back  ;  quills  in 
both  sexes  blackish  with  numerous  pale  or  white  bars  on  the 
inner  webs  ;  tail  chestnut,  in  the  male  with  one  broad  black 
subterminal  bar,  white  tip,  and  outer  feather  mostly  white  with 
several  black  bars  ;  in  the  male  the  whole  tail  with  numerous  im- 
perfect black  bars  ;  below  white,  variously  tinged  with  buff,  or 
tawny,  in  the  male  with  a  few  black  spots  or  none,  in  the  fe- 
male with  many  brown  streaks  ;  throat  and  vent  nearly  white 
and  immaculate  in  both  sexes  ;  bill  dark  horn,  cere  and  feet 
yellow  to  bright  orange.  Length,  10.00-11.00  ;  wing,  7.00  ;  tail. 
5.00,  more  or  less. 

This  elegant  little  Hawk  will  be  immediately  recog- 
nized by  its  small  size,  and 
entirely  peculiar  coloration, 
although  the  plumage  varies 
almost  interminably.  It  is  a 
common  New  England  bird, 
and  resident,  though  less 
numerous  in  winter  than  at 
other  seasons.  It  is  also 
somewhat  locally  distributed.  FlG-  ^--SPARROW  HAWK. 
Thus,  I  have  found  it  to  be  quite  abundant  in  the 
vicinity  of  Amherst,  where  nests  are  found  nearly 
every  year,  and  specimens  are  frequently  procured. 
As  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  it  builds  no  nest,  but  lays 
its  eggs  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  usually  twenty  or 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground,  or  even  more.  Dr.  Wood 
has  described  a  novel  site  chosen  by  a  pair  at  Granby, 
Connecticut,  who  attacked  and  killed  a  pair  of  doves, 
took  possession  of  the  dove-house,  which  was  inside  a 
barn  with  holes  leading  outward,  and  made  themselves 
quite  at  home  ;  they  laid  four  eggs,  and  began  to  incu- 
bate, with  the  evident  intention  of  feeding  on  the  farmer's 


I2O  FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 

chickens  :  so  they  died  the  death.  Five  or  six  eggs  ap- 
pear to  be  the  usual  nest-full ;  seven  are  stated  to  have 
been  found  in  one  clutch.  They  are  nearly  spheroidal, 
measuring  about  1.33  in  length  by  1.12  in  breadth.  The 
ground-color  is  usually  buffy,  or  pale  yellowish-brown  ; 
this  is  blotched  all  over  with  dark  brown,  the  splashes  of 
.which  are  usually  largest  and  most  numerous  toward  the 
greater  end,  at  or  around  which  they  may  run  into  a 
crown  or  wreath.  Some  eggs  are  pale  brown,  minutely 
dotted  all  over  with  dark  brown ;  some  are  white,  with 
pale  brown  spots  ;  and  a  few  are  whitish,  without 
any  markings.  It  is  a  known  fact  that  this  Hawk  will 
lay  again  in  the  same  nest  if  robbed  of  its  eggs.  An 
instance  is  recorded  of  two  sets  of  five  eggs  being 
taken  in  succession  from  one  nest. 

I  have  successfully  reared  the  young,  which  exhibited 
affectionate  docility,  refusing  to  leave  when  set  at  liberty 
and  returning  at  intervals  to  be  replaced  in  its  cage.  Dr. 
Coues  narrates  that  while  he  was  at  Columbia,  in  South 
Carolina,  a  neighbor  had  three  Sparrow  Hawks  for  some 
time.  As  they  had  been  taken  from  the  nest  when  quite 
young,  they  became  in  a  measure  reconciled  to  captivity. 
They  ate  any  kind  of  meat  freely,  and  as  they  grew  up, 
began  to  display  much  of  their  natural  spirit.  When 
tormented  in  the  various  ingenious  ways  people  have  of 
"stirring  up"  caged  birds,  they  would  resent  the  indig- 
nity by  snapping  the  bill,  beating  with  the  wings,  and 
clutching  with  their  talons  at  the  offending  cane  or  um- 
brella tip.  One  of  them  was  a  cripple,  having  a  broken 
leg  very  badly  set,  and  the  other  two  used  to  bully  him 
dreadfully.  One  night,  whether  from  not  having  been 
fed  sufficiently,  or  being  in  unusual  bad  humor,  they  set 
upon  him,  killed  him  outright,  and  almost  devoured  him. 


BUTEO    BOREALIS  :    RED-TAILED    BUZZARD.  121' 

RED-TAILED  BUZZARD  :     HEN  HAWK. 
BUTEO  BOREALIS  Gm. 

Chars.  Adult  dark  brown  above,  many  feathers  with  pale  or  tawny 
margins,  and  upper  tail-coverts  showing  much  whitish  ;  below 
white  or  reddish-white,  with  various  spots  and  streaks  of  different 
shades  of  brown,  generally  forming  an  irregular  zone  on  the  abdo- 
men ;  tail  above  bright  chestnut  red,  with  subterminal  black  zone 
and  narrow  whitish  tip,  below  pearly  gray  ;  wing-coverts  dark. 
Young  with  the  tail  grayish-brown  closely  barred  with  darker,  the 
upper  parts  with  tawny  streaking,  the  under  parts  white  with  dark 
markings,  usually  wanting  on  the  breast.  The  young  are  a  long 
time  in  acquiring  the  full  plumage.  They  are  long  full  grown  before 
the  red  of  the  tail  appears,  and  this  is  usually  in  advance  of  the 
fulvous  of  the  under  parts  that  the  old  birds  display.  I  have  seen 
specimens  with  nearly  perfect  red  tail,  yet  showing  pure  white 
on  the  breast  and  the  same  elsewhere  underneath,  though  marked 
with  the  usual  dark-brown  spots  and  streaks.  A  large  stoutly- 
built  hawk  ;  female  23.00  ;  wing,  15.50  ;  extent,  50.00  or  more  ; 
tail  8.50  ;  male  20.00  ;  wing,  14.00  ;  tail  7.00.  Four  outer  primaries 
emarginate  on  inner  webs ;  tarsus  short,  stout,  extensively 
feathered  above. 

This  is  the  largest  and  most  powerful  of  the  Buzzard 
Hawks,  and  only  exceeded  in  these  respects  by  the 
Gyrfalcons.  It  is  a  permanent  resident,  and  one  gener- 
ally distributed.  You  may  see  the  great  bird  perched 
erect  and  watchful,  on  some  lone  tree  that  gives  command 
of  a  wide  horizon,  no  less  mistrustful  of  the  approach  of 
man  than  confident  of  its  own  ability  to  capture  the 
quarry  its  keen  eye  is  so  eager  to  descry ;  or  you  may 
notice  it  again,  single  or  two  together,  circling  high 
over  head  in  graceful  gyration  with  motionless  wings, 
ever  and  again  sending  forth  its  shrill  note  of  defiance. 
Still  it  is  on  the  whole  of  sluggish  and  heavy  disposition, 


122 


FALCONID^E:  HAWKS. 


and  is  unfitted  as  well  by  physical  organization  for  the 
deeds  of  daring  address,  for  which  the  Falcones  and 
Astures  are  so  famous.  It  is  not  quick  enough  to  strike 


birds  on  the  wing,  and  perforce   contents   itself  with 
humbler,  less  active  and  more  defenceless  game. 

These   Buzzards  mate  early,  constructing  a  large  and 
bulky,  though  shallow,  nest  in  a  high  tree,  of  sticks  and 


BUTEO   LINEATUS  I    RED-SHOULDERED  BUZZARD.       123 

smaller  twigs,  mixed  toward  the  centre  with  grass,  moss, 
or  other  soft  material,  and  often  a  few  feathers.  The 
same  nest  is  often  used  during  successive  years.  The 
eggs  are  generally  three  in  number,  sometimes  two  or 
four,  about  2.40  long  by  rather  less  than  2.00  broad. 
They  are  dull  whitish  in  color,  sometimes  with  only  a  few 
markings  of  dull  brownish-gray,  but  oftener  extensively 
blotched  with  several  shades  of  rich  brown.  They  may 
be  looked  for  in  April,  the  young  usually  being  out  by 
the  end  of  that  month. 


RED-SHOULDERED  BUZZARD ;  WINTER 
HAWK. 

BUTEO  LINEATUS  (Gm.)Jard. 

Chars.  General  plumage  of  the  adult  of  a  rich  fulvous  cast;  above, 
reddish-brown,  the  feathers  with  dark  brown  centres  ;  below  a 
lighter  shade  of  the  same,  with  narrow  dark  streaks  and  white 
bars  ;  quills  and  tail  blackish,  conspicuously  banded  with  pure 
white,  the  bend  of  the  wing  orange-brown.  Young  plain  dark 
brown  above,  below  white  with  dark  streaks ;  quills  and  tail 
barred  with  whitish.  Nearly  as  long  as  B.  borealis,  but  not 
nearly  so  heavy ;  tarsi  more  naked ;  female  22.00 ;  extent, 
48.00  ;  wing,  14.00;  tail,  9.00;  male  19.00;  wing,  13.00;  tail,  8.00. 

This  is  the  most  abundant  of  all  our  large  hawks, 
resident  throughout  the  year,  and  in  fact  the  usual 
representative  of  its  tribe  in  winter.  Its  habits  are  in 
all  respects  similar  to  those  of  the  Red-tail,  though  it  is 
inferior  in  size  and  strength.  The  nest  is  much  the 
same  in  character,  but  smaller,  more  likely  to  be  farther 
from  the  main  stem  of  a  tree  ;  it  is  said  to  be  not  so  long 
reoccupied.  The  eggs,  as  usual,  have  a  wide  range  of 


124  FALCONIM:  :  HAWKS. 

variability  in  size  and  color,  but  they  are  usually  more 
highly-colored  than  those  of  the  Red-tail,  just  as  the 
general  plumage  of  the  bird  is,  the  pale  or  nearly  white 
varieties  being  rare.  In  size  they  range  from  2.00  to 
2.25  in  length  by  about  1.75  in  breadth;  the  usual 
number  is  three  or  four,  sometimes  five,  and  even  six 
have  been  found  in  the  nest  in  one  instance. 


SWAINSON'S  BUZZARD. 

BUTEO   SWAINSONI    Bp. 

Chars.  Three  outer  quills  emarginate  on  outer  web.  Extremely 
variable  in  color,  but  usually  showing  a  broad  dark  pectoral  band 
contrasted  with  light  surroundings  and  numerous  (8-12)  narrow 
dark  tail  bars.  A  smaller  bird  than  the  foregoing;  female  about 
20.00;  wing,  16.00;  tail,  8.50;  male  less;  not  so  stoutly  built;  wings 
and  tail  relatively  longer  ;  chiefly  Western  North  America,  also 
Canada  and  Massachusetts.  A  western  species,  of  casual  occur- 
rence in  our  country,  thus  far  in  two  known  instances. 

Mr.  Wm.  Brewster  sums  up  the  evidence  of  this  rare 
visitor  as  follows  :  "  The  claim  of  the  above-named 
species  to  be  regarded  as  a  bird  of  New  England  has 
hitherto  rested  solely  upon  a  specimen  in  melanistic 
plumage  (formerly  specifically  separated  as/?,  insignatus} 
shot  a  few  years  since  at  Salem,  Mass.,  and  now  in  the 
Museum  of  the  Peabody  Academy  (as  recorded  by  Allen, 
Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  22).  It  is  with  pleasure 
that  I  can  now  announce  the  capture  of  a  second  indi- 
vidual at  Wayland,  Mass.,  on  or  about  September  12, 
1876.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Arthur  Smith,  of 
Brookline,  to  whom  it  was  originally  sent  in  the  flesh, 
this  bird  has  recently  come  into  my  possession.  It  is  a 


BUTEO  PENNSYLVANICUS  :    BROAD-WINGED  BUZZARD.      12$ 

young  male  in  nearly  perfect  autumnal  dress,  and  though 
not  typically  melanistic,  it  still  inclines  strongly  towards 
that  condition."  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  39.) 


BROAD-WINGED  BUZZARD. 

BUTEO    PENNSYLVANICUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Above,  umber-brown,  the  feathers  with  paler,  or  even  with 
fulvous  or  ashy-white,  edging,  those  of  the  hind  head  and  nape 
cottony-white  at  base  ;  quills  blackish,  most  of  the  inner  webs 
white,  barred  with  dusky;  tail  with  about  three  broad  dark  zones 
alternating  with  narrow  white  ones,  and  white-tipped;  conspicu- 
ous dusky  maxillary  patches  j  under  parts  white,  or  tawny, 
variously  streaked,  spotted  or  barred  with  rusty  or  rufous,  this 
color  usually  predominating  in  adult  birds,  when  the  white  chiefly 
appears  as  oval  or  circular  spots  on  each  feather  ;  throat  gener- 
ally whiter  than  elsewhere,  narrowly  dark-lined.  In  the  young, 
the  upper  parts  are  duller  brown,  varied  with  white,  the  under 
parts  tawny-whitish  with  linear  and  oblong  dark  spots,  the  tail 
grayish-brown  with  numerous  dark  bars.  Female  18.00;  extent, 
40.00;  wing,  11.00;  tail,  7.00  ;  male  less.  A  rather  small  but 
stout  species,  with  short  broad  wings,  very  different  from  any  of 
the  foregoing  ;  the  maxillary  patches  are  a  strong  feature. 

A  resident  species  in  New  England,  but  less  common 
than  the  Red-tail  or  Red-shoulder,  and  seldom  to  be  seen 
in  winter,  when  probably  only  in  southern  portions.  The 
general  habits  are  not  peculiar  in  comparison  with  those 
of  its  allies,  and  the  nidification  is  similar. 

Mr.  Samuels  states  that  a  nest  he  visited  the  2Oth  of 
May,  1864,  in  West  Roxbury,  Massachusetts,  was  built 
in  the  fork  of  a  tall  pine-tree,  near  the  top,  and  composed 
of  coarse  sticks  and  twigs,  lined  with  red  cedar  bark, 
leaves,  and  feathers.  It  contained  four  eggs,  measuring 


126  FALCONID^:  :    HAWKS. 

from  2.00  to  2.15  long,  by  1.70  to  1.72  broad;  dirty 
yellowish-white,  covered  more  or  less  thickly  in  the 
different  specimens  with  spots  and  blotches  of  reddish- 
brown.  Other  specimens  had  fainter  markings,  while 
in  others,  again,  the  spots  were  finer  and  darker.  The 
nest,  of  which  little  was  learned  until  of  late  years,  has 
been  found  frequently  in  Massachusetts,  near  Boston, 
Springfield,  Williamstown,  Newton,  West  Roxbury,  and 
Leverett ;  in  the  latter  place,  on  Mount  Toby,  the  bird 
is  apparently  a  regular  breeder,  both  on  the  Leverett 
and  on  the  Sunderland  side.  In  Connecticut,  Mr. 
Merriam  says  :  It  breeds  sparingly  about  New  Haven, 
and  Mr.  W.  W.  Coe  has  taken  quite  a  number  of  their 
nests,  together  with  several  of  the  finest  birds 'that  I 
have  ever  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland,  Conn.  (B. 
Conn.  1877,  p.  87.) 


ROUGH-LEGGED  BUZZARD. 
ARCHIBUTEO  LAGOPUS  SANCT-JOHANNIS  (Gm.)  Ridg. 

Chars.  Large  hawks  with  the  tarsi  feathered  in  front  to  the  toes  ; 
about  2  feet  long ;  wing  16.00-18.00  ;  tail  8.00-10.00.  Four  outer 
primaries  emarginate  on  inner  web.  Below,  white,  variously 
dark-marked,  and  often  with  a  broad  black  abdominal  zone ;  but 
generally  no  ferruginous.  North  America;,  abundant.  The 
so-called  "  black  hawk  "  is  a  melanotic  state,  in  which  the  whole 
plumage  is  nearly  uniform  blackish. 

This  large  Hawk,  in  black  or  the  other  plumage 
easily  recognized  by  the  feathered  shank,  is  a  north- 
erner ;  seldom,  if  ever,  found  in  summer  in  our  country ; 
though  the  black  variety  is  given  by  Dr.  Brewer  as 
resident  in  Maine.  It  is  a  bird  of  very  irregular  distri- 
bution ;  being  particularly  attached  to  low  wet  meadows, 


PANDION    HALIAETUS  :    OSPREY J    FISH    HAWK.         I2/ 

such  as  are  affected  by  the  Harriers  and  Short-eared 
Owls,  it  is  almost  necessarily  local  and  scattering. 
Though  of  great  size,  its  prey  is  very  humble,  consisting 
chiefly  of  mice,  reptiles,  and  insects.  The  nest  is  placed 
indifferently  on  trees  or  cliffs.  The  eggs,  three  or  four 
in  number,  and  measuring  about  2^-  by  i|  inches,  run 
through  the  usual  variations,  from  dull  whitish,  scarcely 
or  not  at  all  marked,  to  drab  or  creamy,  largely  blotched 
with  different  shades  of  brown,  sometimes  mixed  with 
purplish  slate  markings. 

Although  belonging  to  a  group  technically  said  to  be 
"ruling"  Buzzards  (" Archibuteo"),  it  is  difficult  to  see 
where  the  claim  to  royal  purple  lies  in  this  species  and 
others  of  the  same  genus,  for  they  certainly  lack  the 
qualities  that  go  to  make  hawks  famous.  Viewing  their 
splendid  presence,  we  wonder,  as  a  late  writer  says, 
"that  the  object  of  such  an  admirable  organization  is 
nothing  more  important  than  the  destruction  of  the 
smallest  and  most  defenceless  of  quadrupeds  or  of 
reptiles.  Yet  such  is  apparently  the  case.  Many  of  the 
birds  of  this  group,  though  powerful  in  structure,  and 
furnished  with  the  usual  apparatus  of  strong  and  sharp 
bill  and  claws,  and  other  accompaniments  of  predatory 
habits,  rarely  attack  any  animal  more  formidable  than  a 
mouse  or  ground  squirrel,  or  in  some  cases  a  frog  or 
other  of  the  weaker  species  of  reptiles." 


OSPREY;   FISH  HAWK. 
PANDION     HALIAETUS    (L.)     Sav. 

Chars.    Plumage  lacking  aftershafts,  compact,  imbricated,  oily,  to 
resist  water  j  that  of  the  legs  short  and  close,  not  forming  the 


128  FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 

flowing  tufts  seen  in  most  other  genera,  that  of  the  head  length- 
ened, acuminate  ;  primary  coverts  stiff  and  acuminate.  Feet 
immensely  large  and  strong,  the  tarsus  entirely  naked,  granular- 
reticulate,  the  toes  all  of  the  same  length,  unwebbed  at  base, 
very  scabrous  underneath,  the  outer  versatile ;  claws  very  large, 
rounded  underneath.  Hook  of  the  bill  long  ;  nostrils  touching 
edge  of  the  cere.  Above,  dark  brown ;  most  of  the  head  and 
neck,  and  the  under  parts  white,  latter  sometimes  with  a  tawny 
shade,  and  streaked  with  brown.  2  feet  long  ;  wing,  18.00-20.00 
inches ;  tail,  8.00-10.00. 

A  summer  resident  along  the  coast,  common  in  South- 
ern and  less  so  in  Northern  New  England.  This  large 
hawk,  so  peculiar  in  form  and  aspect,  differing  so  widely 
from  others  in  technical  characters,  and  so  remarkable 
in  the  nature  of  its  food  and  manner  of  procuring  it,  is 
one  of  the  most  regularly  migratory  of  its  tribe,  coming 
over  our  limits  late  in  March  and  remaining  until 
November.  Its  movements,  in  spring  at  least,  are 
related  to  some  extent  to  the  migrations  of  the  fish 
which  form  its  exclusive  diet.  The  manner  of  procuring 
these  animals  is  the  same  as  the  Kingfisher's,  by  plung- 
ing down  from  on  high,  but  the  quarry  is  seized  with 
the  talons,  of  course,  not  with  the  beak.  The  piscatorial 
habits  of  this  bird  restrict  its  residence  to  the  coast  and 
the  larger  inland  waters.  Its  numbers  are  uncertain  in 
different  localities  to  all  appearance  equally  eligible,  and 
in  some  places  appear  to  have  diminished  of  late  years 
from  some  unassignable  cause.  Speaking  of  Massachu- 
setts, Mr.  Allen  has  lately  said  that  the  Fish  Hawk 
formerly  bred  in  the  State,  but  now  probably  nests 
there  very  rarely  if  at  all ;  and  Mr.  Minot's  remarks  on 
the  subject  are  to  like  effect.  Our  advices  from  Con- 
necticut are  the  most  explicit  and  interesting  of  any  we 
possess.  "Mr.  W.  W.  Coe  informs  me,"  writes  Mr. 


PANDION    HALIAETUS  :    OSPREY  J    FISH    HAWK.        1 2Q 

Merriam,  "  that  Fish  Hawks  do  not  breed  so  far  up  the 
Connecticut  River  as  Middletown  and  Portland,  but  are 
common  at  its  mouth  (about  Saybrook),  and  that  he 
has  taken  their  nests,  along  the  Sound,  all  the  way  from 


FIG.  25.— FISH  HAWK. 

Saybrook  to  New  London.  Immense  numbers  of  them 
breed  regularly  at  Plumb  Island,  Conn.,  where  I  saw, 
last  Spring,  at  least  five  hundred  nests,  and  over  a 
thousand  birds.  There  is  only  one  small  piece  of  timber 
on  the  island,  and  every  tree  contains  a  Fish-Hawk's 
nest,  or  from  eight  to  ten  Night  Herons'  nests.  There 


I3O  FALCONID^:  :    HAWKS. 

is  quite  a  colony  of  Night  Herons  there.  There  being 
not  trees  enough  for  the  Hawks  to  nest  in,  many  of  them 
build  on  the  ground,  and  some  lay  their  eggs  in  the 
sand.  They  occupy  the  same  nest  for  years,  adding  a 
little  to  it  each  season,  till  some  of  them,  that  were 
originally  placed  flat  on  the  ground,  had  become  so  large 
that  I  could  not  look  into  them ;  they  were  seven  feet 
high  and  measured  six  or  eight  feet  across  the  top !  On 
the  4th  of  June  I  found  both  young  birds  and  fresh  eggs 
in  some  of  the  nests.  The  Crow  Blackbirds  had  built 
their  nests  in  among  the  large  sticks  of  the  Fish  Hawk's 
nests,  there  being  often  four  or  five  of  the  former  placed 
about  the  sides  of  one  of  the  latter."  (B.  Conn.,  1877, 
p.  89.) 

The  eggs  of  the  Fish  Hawk  run  through  all  the 
varieties  of  coloration  usual  in  this  family,  from  white  to 
creamy,  tawny,  and  reddish  ground  color,  with  a  few  pale 
brown  markings  or  very  boldly  blotched  with  the  richest 
shades  of  sienna,  burnt  umber,  bistre  and  sepia.  There 
is  usually  a  great  deal  of  reddish  in  the  spotting  as  well 
as  the  ground  color,  and  the  "mahogany"  samples 
make  very  handsome  objects.  The  size  is  very  variable  : 
a  specimen  before  us  measures  an  inch  and  a  half  in  the 
conjugate  by  two  and  three-quarters  through  the  major 
axis. 

GOLDEN   EAGLE. 
AQUILA  CHRYSAETUS  (L.)  Cuv. 

Chars.  Tarsus  completely  feathered.  Dark  brown  with  a  purplish 
gloss ;  lanceolate  feathers  of  head  and  neck,  golden-brown ; 
quills  blackish ;  in  the  young,  tail  white,  with  a  broad  terminal 
black  zone.  About  3  feet  long ;  wing  upwards  of  2  feet ;  tail  a 


AQUILA    CHRYSAETUS  I    GOLDEN    EA/3LE.  I  3  I 

foot  or  more.     North  America,  rather  northerly,  in  winter  south 
ordinarily  to  about  35°. 

This  great  bird  is  celebrated  on  a  principle  well  eluci- 
dated by  Mr.  Minot,  who  says:  "Size  has  always  a 
fascination  for  the  world.  The  young  collector  prizes  a 
hawk's  egg  more  than  that  of  the  rarest  warbler.  The 
egg  is  big,  the  bird  that  lays  it  is  big,  the  nest  in  which 
it  was  laid  is  big,  the  tree  in  which  the  nest  was  built  is 
big,  and  the  wood  in  which  the  tree  grows  is  big."  And 
so  were  the  exploits  of  Jack  with  the  bean-stalk.  But 
the  Golden  Eagle  is  simply  a  hawk  of  unusual  dimen- 
sions, little  distinguished  from  the  Rough-legged  Buzzard 
except  in  size.  It  is  of  infrequent  and  irregular  occur- 
rence throughout  New  England,  nesting  anywhere  that 
offers  suitable  crags  for  the  location  of  its  eyrie,  and  for  the 
rest  roaming  about  for  food  like  any  other  bird  of  prey. 

In  Mr.  Allen's  report  of  1878,  the  cases  recorded 
from  Massachusetts  are  Monson,  November,  1864; 
Deerfield,  December  14,  1865  ;  Westfield,  three  speci- 
mens, 1866;  and  Fairhaven,  November  21,  1873.  "Dr. 
Wm.  Wood  has  seen  them  near  Hartford,  Connecticut ; 
while  in  that  same  State  specimens  have  been  taken  by 
Mr.  J.  N.  Clark,  Saybrook;  and  by  Mr.  Henry  Flint,  at 
Deep  River.  Mr.  Hiram  Cutting  informs  us  that  it  is 
not  a  scarce  bird  in  Vermont,  where  he  has  found  its 
nest,  and  several  times  secured  the  young.  Dr.  Coues 
has  given  the  following  description  of  the  eggs  :  —  "  Dr. 
Brewer  gives  it  as  breeding  in  the  mountainous  portions 
of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  New  York, 
particularly  instancing  a  nest  at  Franconia,  New  Hamp- 
shire, which  was  resorted  to  for  several  successive  years. 
But  its  nidification  is  usually  in  such  inaccessible 
situations,  even  when  not  in  the  most  remote  and  unin- 


132  FALCONID.E  :    HAWKS. 

habitable  regions,  that  its  eggs  were  for  a  long  time 
special  desiderata.  Even  in  1857,  Dr.  Brewer  had  no 
American  specimens  for  description.  I  have,  therefore, 
more  pleasure  in  describing  them,  from  no  less  than  a 
dozen  examples  now  in  the  Smithsonian,  where,  through 
the  liberality  marking  the  attitude  of  that  institution 
toward  students  of  science,  I  have  been  able  to  examine 
them.  The  eggs  are  almost  spherical,  the  degree  of 
prolation  being  slight,  and  there  being  usually  no 
appreciable  difference  in  the  shape  of  the  opposite  ends. 
Four  selected  specimens  measure,  respectively,  2.65  by 
2.15  ;  2.90  by  2.40;  3.00  by  2.35  ;  3.10  by  2.25  —  figures 
illustrating  both  the  difference  in  absolute  size  and  the 
variation  in  shape.  None  are  so  large  as  the  one  said 
by  Audubon  to  have  been  3.50  by  2.50;  but  I  can 
readily  believe  that  such  dimensions  are  sometimes 
reached.  Among  the  twelve,  only  one  is  white  and 
unmarked  ;  this  closely  resembles  a  Bald  Eagle's.  The 
rest  are  whitish  (white,  shaded  just  perceptibly  with 
neutral  tint),  variously  spotted  and  splashed,  without 
the  slightest  approach  to  uniformity  in  the  size,  number, 
or  pattern  of  the  markings.  The  color  ranges  from 
"bloody-brown  "  or  rich  sienna,  to  bistre  and  umber. 
There  are  many  other  spots,  more  or  less  obscure,  and 
all  apparently  below  the  surface,  showing  grayish,  drab, 
purplish,  and  neutral  tint,  by  overlaying  of  the  whitish 
calcareous  matter  in  different  thicknesses.  Most  of  the 
markings  are  sharp-edged  and  distinct,  but  others  shade 
off  gradually,  while  many  are  confluent,  making  irregular 
patches.  As  a  rule  they  are  pretty  evenly  distributed, 
but  in  some  specimens  are  chiefly  gathered  about  one 
or  the  other  end,  where  the  coloration  consequently 
becomes  confluent." 


HALIAETUS    LEUCOCEPHALUS  I   BALD    EAGLE.         133 


BALD   EAGLE. 
HALIAETUS  LEUCOCEPHALUS  (L.)  Sav. 

Chars.  Tarsus  naked.  Dark  brown  ;  head  and  tail  white  after  the 
third  year ;  before  this,  these  parts  like  the  rest  of  the  plumage. 
About  the  size  of  the  last  species.  Immature  birds  average 
larger  than  the  adults  ;  the  famous  "  Bird  of  Washington  "  is  a 


134  FALCONIM:  :  HAWKS. 

case  in  point.  North  America,  common  ;  piscivorous  ;  a  pirati- 
cal parasite  oftheosprey ;  otherwise  notorious  as  the  emblem  of 
the  Republic.  From  the  circumstance  that  several  years  (at 
least  three)  are  required  for  the  gaining  of  the  perfect  plumage, 
when  the  head  and  tail  are  entirely  white,  it  follows  that  "Gray 
Eagles  "  and  "  Birds  of  Washington  "  are  the  more  frequently 
met  with.  Those  who,  unpractised  in  ornithology,  may  be 
puzzled  by  accounts  of  numerous  different  kinds  of  Eagles,  may 
be  relieved  to  know  that  only  two  species  have  ever  been  found  in 
the  United  States.  In  any  plumage  they  may  instantly  be 
recognized  by  the  legs  —  feathered  to  the  toes  in  Aquila  chry- 
saetus,  naked  on  the  whole  shank  in  Haliaetus  leucocephahis. 

The  Bald  Eagle  appears  to  have  decreased  in  numbers 
of  late  years,  to  judge  by  comparison  of  earlier  with 
more  recent  notices  of  its  occurrence.  Still  it  is  to  be 
called  no  uncommon  bird,  of  general  dispersion  along 
the  coast  and  the  larger  water  courses,  nesting  wherever 
a  convenient  site  for  its  eyrie  can  be  found  in  places 
sufficiently  secluded  to  give  the  bird  a  sense  of  security. 
The  nest  is  commonly  built  in  a  tree  —  a  huge  affair, 
doubtless  the  largest  structure  of  the  kind  to  be  found 
high  in  trees  in  our  country,  unless  some  of  the 
augmented  fabrics  of  the  Fish  Hawk  should  exceed  it  in 
bulk.  The  eggs  are  easily  recognized  by  their  size,  and 
lack  of  the  spotting  usually  observed  on  those  of  diurnal 
Rap  tores.  They  are  commonly  two  in  number,  about 
three  inches  in  length,  by  a  scant  two-and-a-half  inches 
in  breadth,  and  of  a  dull  soiled  white  color. 


CATHARTES    AURA:   TURKEY    BUZZARD.  135 


FAMILY  CATHARTID^E*:  AMERICAN 
VULTURES. 


TURKEY   BUZZARD. 
CATHARTES    AURA    (L.)  III. 

Chars.  Blackish  brown  ;  quills  ashy  gray  on  their  under  surface  ; 
head  red  ;  feet  flesh-colored  ;  bill  white.  Skin  of  head  corru- 
gated, sparsely  beset  with  bristle-like  feathers  ;  plumage  com- 
mencing in  a  circle  on  the  neck  ;  nostrils  very  large  and  open  ; 
tail  rounded.  Length,  about  2  feet ;  extent,  6.00  ;  wing,  2.00 ; 
tail,  i.oo. 

This  well-known  bird  is  entered  on  Dr.  Coues'  list  of 
1868  as  a  rare  or  occasional  visitor,  chiefly  in  more 
southern  portions  of  New  England,  with  note  of  one 
Maine  occurrence,  and  of  its  regular  presence  in  summer 
near  Chatham,  and  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Sinclair,  in 
Canada  West.  Mr.  Merriam  has  later  given  an  excel- 
lent resume  of  occurrences,  which  we  transcribe  : 

"  A  rare  visitor  from  the  south,  at  present,  although 
once  '  not  uncommon/  according  to  Linsley,  who  further 
states :  *  I  have  known  it  in  Connecticut  from  a  child, 
having  at  that  period  counted  twenty  in  a  flock  in 

*  The  American  genera  Sarcorhamphus,  Pseitdogryphus,  Ca- 
thartes,  and  Catharista  form  a  group  of  superfamily  value,  which 
may  be  termed  CATHARTIDES,  constituting  one  of  the  primary 
divisions  of  the  Raptores  or  Birds  of  Prey,  the  others  being  Gypo- 
gerani,  Accipitres  proper  (incl.  Vulturidce)  and  Striges,  though 
more  different  from  the  others  collectively  than  these  are  from 
one  another. —  C. 


136 


CATHARTIM:  :  AMERICAN  VULTURES. 


Northford  in  the  month  of  August.'  Mr.  Grinnell  tells 
me  that  one  was  shot  at  the  mouth  of  the  Housatonic 
River,  Conn.,  in  June,  1875,  by  C.  Merwin,  of  Milford 


FIG.  27.  — CALIFOKNIAN  VULTURE,  to  illustrate  Cathartidae. 

Point.  Turkey  Buzzards  have  been  observed  at  Say- 
brook,  Conn.,  by  Mr.  J.  N.  Clark,  as  recorded  by  Purdie 
(Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  p.  693) ;  two  were  taken  in  Massa- 
chusetts (Samuels,  Cat.  B.  Mass.,  1864,  p.  3);  and  one 


CATH ARISTA    ATRATA  :    CARRION    CROW.  137 

even  strayed  as  far  to  the  north  as  Calais,  Maine,  where 
it  was  captured  by  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman  (recorded  by 
Prof.  A.  E.  Verrill,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  122) :  Dr. 
Wood  tells  me  one  was  seen,  feeding  on  carrion,  near 
East  Windsor,  Conn.,  only  three  years  ago  (1874).  The 
Rev.  J.  Howard  Hand  writes  me  as  follows,  concerning 
the  occurrence  of  Turkey  Buzzards  in  Connecticut :  '  I 
took  one  specimen  at  Cromwell,  Conn.,  Sept.  23d,  1874; 
also  one  at  Westbrook,  Conn.,  Oct.  i6th,  1875,  an^ 
again,  eight  specimens  on  Oct.  i8th  (two  days  after- 
wards). They  are  not  common.'  Dr.  Wm.  O.  Ayres 
writes  me  that  he  took  one  at  New  Haven  in  1853." 
(B.  Conn.  1877,  p.  91.) 

The  columns  of  Forest  and  Stream  contain  several 
notices  of  New  England  occurrences.  Mr.  Everett 
Smith  notes  the  capture  of  a  specimen  in  a  steel  trap 
at  Cumberland,  Maine  (iii,  No.  21,  p.  324).  One  was 
shot  where  Eutaw,  Greene  County,  Vt.,  now  stands 
(iv,  No.  i,  p.  5).  Three  were  seen  on  the  island  of 
Grand  Menan,  in  April,  1875,  and  one  of  them  was 
shot  (J.  T.  C.  Moses,  v,  No.  3,  p.  36). 

Mr.  Maynard  speaks  of  one  seen  at  Waltham,  Mass., 
in  August,  1867  (Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  137)  ;  and  Mr. 
Purdie's  manuscript  makes  us  aware  of  two  later  Massa- 
chusetts instances. 


CARRION   CROW. 
CATH  ARISTA  ATRATA   (Bartr.)  Less. 

Chars.  Blackish  ;  quills  very  pale,  almost  whitish,  on  the  under 
surface  ;  head  dusky  ;  bill  and  feet  grayish-yellow.  Skin  of  head 
as  in  the  last  species,  but  plumage  running  up  the  back  of  neck 


138  CATHARTIDvE  :   AMERICAN    VULTURES. 

to  a  point  on  the  hind  head  ;  nostrils  as  before  ;  tail  square. 
Smaller  than  aura  in  linear  dimensions,  but  a  heavier  bird  ; 
length  about  2  feet ;  wing,  1.33  ;  tail,  0.66. 

This  species  is  of  still  less  frequent  occurrence  than 
the  last,  its  normal  range  in  the  United  States  not 
extending  beyond  the  Carolinas.  One  was  taken  in 
Swampscott,  Mass.,  November,  1850,  by  Mr.  S.  Jillson, 
as  given  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Putnam  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  i,  1856, 
p.  223).  Another  at  Gloucester,  Mass.,  Sept.  28,  1863, 
which  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen  cites  (ibid,  iv,  1864,  p.  81),  as  he 
does  the  capture  of  one  and  the  observation  of  several 
others  at  Hudson  (Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  646).  Mr.  G. 
A.  Boardman  speaks  of  one  killed  at  Calais,  Maine  (Am. 
Nat.,  iii,  1869,  p.  498);  and  Mr.  Ruthven  Deane  gives 
another  Maine  record  (Campobello,  about  August,  1879, 
Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  63).  These  are  the  authen- 
tic cases  which  have  come  to  our  knowledge  :  for  a  du- 
bious Connecticut  record,  see  Merriam,  B.  Conn.,  1877, 
P-  93- 


ECTOPISTUS  MIGRATORIUS  :    PASSENGER  PIGEON.      139 


FAMILY  COLUMBID^:  PIGEONS. 
PASSENGER   PIGEON:   WILD    PIGEON. 

ECTOPISTES    MIGRATORIUS    (L.)    Sw. 

Chars.  Tail,  12-feathered,  long  and  wedge-shaped;  outer  tail- 
feathers  black,  white  and  chestnut.  Neck  with  metallic  irides- 
cence. Wing-coverts  spotted  with  black.  Male  with  the  under 
parts  pale  purplish-red,  fading  behind,  the  sides  grayish-blue  like 
the  upper  parts.  Female  and  young  lacking  the  rich  color  of  the 
breast,  which  is  grayish,  more  like  the  upper  parts.  Bill,  black. 
Eyes  and  feet,  red.  Length,  about  16.00  ;  wing,  8.00-9.00  ;  tail 
little  less. 

Comparatively  few  of  the  descendants  of  myriads 
which  in  former  generations  of  passenger  pigeons  dark- 
ened the  air  in  New  England  are  left  to  us  now, 
though  thousands  still  appear  among  us  during  the 
migrations,  and  some  of  them  still  construct  the  open- 
work platforms  of  twigs,  through  the  interstices  of  which 
you  may  from  below  observe  the  snowy  white  egg  or 
pair  of  eggs  entrusted  to  these  frail  receptacles.  Civili- 
zation has  pushed  the  Pigeons  before  it,  by  depriving 
them  to  a  great  extent  of  the  formerly  inexhaustible 
store  of  mast  they  enjoyed,  for  which  the  fields  of  buck- 
wheat or  other  cultivated  grains  are  no  adequate  substi- 
tute. The  greatest  flights  and  roosts  of  Pigeons  we 
now  hear  of  are  in  the  Northwestern  States,  —  say  the 
upper  Mississippi  Valley  at  large — where  the  numbers 
of  the  birds  are  still  prodigious,  furnishing  no  incon- 
siderable commercial  item,  as  well  as  the  usual  substi- 


I4O  COLUMBID.E  !    PIGEONS. 

tutes  for  domestic  pigeons  in  those  contests  of  skill 
between  sportsmen  which  our  most  prominently  mis- 
guided misanthrope,  Mr.  Henry  Bergh,  has  so  long 
vainly  essayed  to  suppress.  The  works  of  sundry 
authors  who  treat  of  Pigeons  contain  a  large  store  of 
eligible  reading  matter  on  the  subject  of  this  Pigeon, 
which  the  limitations  of  our  own  treatise  forbid  us  to 
transcribe,  or  even  reproduce  in  substance  ;  and  we  have 
no  new  information  to  offer  in  its  stead. 


FIG.  28.  —  WILD  PIGEON. 


The  eggs  are  one  or  two  in  number,  pure  white  in 
color,  of  elliptical  shape,  measuring  about  1.50  by  i.io, 
and  are  laid  from  April  to  June. 


WILD    DOVE:    MOURNING   DOVE. 

ZENAIDURA   CAROLINENSIS  (L.)  Bp. 

Chars.    Tail,  14-feathered,  long  and  wedge-shaped,  colored  much 
like  that  of  the  Wild  Pigeon,  but  lacking  chestnut  on  the  outer 


ZENAIDURA    CAROLINENSIS  :    WILD    DOVE.  141 

quills.  General  coloration  and  sexual  differences  much  the 
same  as  in  the  Wild  Pigeon.  A  velvety-black  spot  on  the  side 
of  the  head,  and  others  on  the  wings,  the  former  wanting  in  the 
Pigeon.  Much  smaller.  Length,  about  12.00  ;  extent,  17.00 ; 
wing,  5.50-6.00  ;  tail  about  the  same. 

This  is  a  common  summer  resident  with  us,  occasion- 
ally remaining  through  the  winter,  as  the  Wild  Pigeon 
also  sometimes  does.  Though  often  seen  in  companies 
of  some  extent,  it  is  not  particularly  gregarious,  and  is 
generally  dispersed  in  pairs  or  singly  through  the  woods 


FIG.  29. —  HEAD  AND  FOOT  OF  MOURNING  DOVE.    Natural  size. 

and  fields.  In  the  autumn,  however,  similarity  of  tastes 
and  needs  generally  brings  many  individuals  together  at 
eligible  feeding  grounds.  It  is  naturally  a  gentle  and 
confiding  bird,  but  is  subject  to  such  persecution  from 
the  gunners  that  it  is  usually  considered  wild  and  shy. 
In  portions  of  the  country  where  it  is  seldom  molested, 
few  birds  are  less  timid  in  the  presence  of  man.  Dur- 
ing the  breeding  season,  generally  May  in  New  Eng- 
land, the  woods  resound  with  the  cooing  of  the  ardent 
and  affectionate  creatures  ;  but  at  other  seasons  the 
Dove  is  a  remarkably  silent  bird.  The  eggs  are  usually 
two  in  number,  pure  white,  elliptical,  measuring  i.ioby 
0.85.  The  nest  is  placed  indifferently  upon  a  tree  or  bush, 


142  COLUMBIDyE  :    PIGEONS. 

stump  or  log,  or  even  on  the  ground  —  oftenest  in  the 
fork  of  some  branch  at  no  great  elevation ;  it  is  always 
slight  and  frail,  open-worked  of  twigs,  with  little  or  no 
softer  material.  The  arrivals  are  mostly  during  the 
latter  part  of  April,  and  the  pairing  and  cooing  begin 
as  soon  as  a  residence  is  selected.  The  greater  number 
depart  in  October,  only  hardy  loiterers  remaining  during 
the  inclement  season.  The  migrations  are  thus  more 
orderly  and  regular  than  the  movements  of  the  Wild 
Pigeon,  which  wanders  with  such  wayward  and  irresist- 
ible impulse  in  search  of  food.  At  the  same  time,  it 
cannot  be  denied  that  in  New  England  the  distribution 
of  the  species  is  quite  local,  the  birds  being  not  uncom- 
mon in  places  where  the  food  they  prefer  is  most  plen- 
tiful and  accessible,  yet  scarcely  known  in  neighboring 
localities.  They  are  extremely  fond  of  buckwheat ;  and 
regions  where  the  grain  is  cultivated  always  furnish 
Doves  in  season.  The  same  restriction  and  partial  dis- 
tribution occurs  in  the  arid  regions  of  the  southwestern 
territories,  but  for  a  different  reason  —  the  scarcity  of 
water.  In  Arizona,  for  example,  there  is  no  water-hole 
in  all  that  parched  land  without  its  Doves,  though  the 
birds  will  scarcely  be  seen  in  the  intervening  desert 
reaches.  Most  of  the  Arizona  "  rivers  "  have  no  water 
in  them  ;  and  in  that  extraordinary  country,  where 
everything  goes  by  contraries,  the  sight  of  a  Dove  is  a 
surer  sign  of  water  than  the  site  of  a  stream.  The 
Dove  there  shows  the  opposite  character  it  acquired  in 
the  days  of  Noah,  as  a  herald  of  dry  land. 


NOTE  ON  THE  WILD  TURKEY.          143 

FAMILY  MELEAGRIDID^:  TURKEYS. 

NOTE    ON    THE    WILD    TURKEY. 

There  is  no  longer  a  doubt  of  the  extirpation  of  this 
noble  bird  in  New  England.  I  have  been  at  some  pains 
to  examine  the  records,  and  am  satisfied  of  its  entire 
extinction.  A  few  words  will,  however,  be  pertinent 
to  the  history  of  the  case. 

The  bird  was  formerly  abundant  in  southern  New 
England,  as  attested  by  all  the  earlier  writings  which 
touch  upon  the  case.  Their  number  must  have  been 
so  much  thinned  out  during  the  last  century  that  the 
period  of  their  plenty  ceased  about  the  beginning  of  the 
present,  if  not  somewhat  earlier. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Linsley's  record  is  especially  notewor- 
thy. Writing  in  1843,  ne  savs  :  "The  last  Wild  Turkey 
that  I  have  known  in  New  England  was  taken  by  a  re- 
lative of  mine,  about  thirty  years  since,  on  Totoket 
Mountain,  in  Northford.  It  was  overtaken  in  a  deep 
snow,  and  thereby  outrun."  (Am.  Jour.  Sci.,  xliv,  1843, 
p.  264.) 

About  the  same  time  Zadock  Thompson  represented 
that  Turkeys  continued  to  visit  and  breed  upon  the 
mountains  in  southern  parts  of  Vermont.  (Hist.  Ver- 
mont, 1842,  p.  101.) 

The  Turkey  appears  to  have  lingered  longest  in  the 
mountainous  parts  of  Massachusetts.  Though  Prof. 
Emmons  considered  it  nearly  extinct  in  that  State  in 
1833,  it  was  said  by  Prof.  Hitchcock  to  be  at  that  time 
"  frequently "  found  on  Mt.  Holyoke  (Rep.  Geol.  etc., 
Mass.,  1833,  p.  549). 


144  MELEAGRIDID^E  :    TURKEYS. 

Mr.  Merriam's  model  paper  gives  us  in  this,  as  in  so 
many  other  cases,  very  valuable  information.  "  Profes- 
sor W.  D.  Whitney  once  mounted  a  fine  specimen  of 
the  Wild  Turkey,  killed  on  Mt.  Tom,  Mass.,  Nov.  ist, 
1847.  It  may  now  be  seen  in  the  beautiful  case  of  birds 
given  by  Prof.  Whitney  to  the  Peabody  Museum  of  Yale 
College,  and  is  of  particular  value  as  being,  in  all  pro- 
bability, the  last  of  its  race  seen  in  that  State." 
(Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  99.) 

Dr.  Brewer  retains  it  in  his  list  of  1875,  with  the  re- 
marl  :  "  resident,  probably  extinct."  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc. 
Nat.  Hist,  xvii,  1875,  p.  445.) 

The  highest  authority  now  writing  upon  the  Birds  of 
New  England  —  I  mean  Mr.  Allen,  of  course  —  agrees 
to  the  substance  of  the  statements  here  given,  in  the 
latest  note  he  has  left  upon  the  subject.  "  Well  known," 
he  says,  "  to  have  been  a  common  species  in  southern 
New  England  for  a  long  time  subsequent  to  the  first 
settlement  of  this  part  of  the  country  (see  Bull.  Nutt. 
Orn.  Club,  i,  Sept.,  1876,  p.  55),  but  long  since  ceased  to 
exist  here  in  a  wild  state."  (Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878, 
P-  3L) 


LAGOPUS    ALDUS  :    WILLOW    PTARMIGAN.  145 


FAMILY  TETRAONID^E:  GROUSE. 


WILLOW   PTARMIGAN. 

LAGOPUS  ALDUS    (Gm.)  And. 

Chars.  Legs  feathered  to  the  claws.  In  winter,  pure  white,  tail 
black,  two  middle  feathers  excepted  ;  bill  black.  Summer,  the 
foreparts  rich  chestnut  or  orange-brown,  variegated  with  black- 
ish, the  upper  parts  and  sides  barred  with  blackish,  tawny  and 
white;  most  other  parts  white.  Length,  15.00;  extent,  24.00; 
wing,  775  ;  tail,  5.10. 

The  New  England  record  of  the  Ptarmigan  is  not  free 
from  suspicion,  and  we  allow  the  species  a  place  with 
some  misgiving.  It  doubtless  occurs,  however,  in 
Northern  Maine,  as  it  certainly  does  in  Lewis  County, 
N.  Y.  Prof.  Verrill  says  :  "  Northern  Maine,  in  winter, 
rare"  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iii,  1862,  p.  157).  The  Massa- 
chusetts (Manchester,  Essex  Co.,  May,  1859)  specimen, 
recorded  by  Dr.  Cones  (ibid.,  v,  1868,  p.  289)  as  extant 
in  the  Museum  of  the  Essex  Institute,  was  supposed  to 
have  been  brought  alive  from  Labrador  and  escaped, 
as  stated  in  that  connection.  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman,  of 
Calais,  Me.,  to  whom  we  wrote  for  information,  assures 
us  that  he  has  been  unable  to  satisfy  himself  that  the 
Ptarmigan  has  ever  been  known  to  occur  in  New  Eng- 
land. With  this  explanation,  which  we  trust  will  not 
leave  us  liable  to  the  charge  of  improperly  augmenting 
our  list  of  New  England  birds,  and  calling  special  atten- 
tion to  the  insufficiency  of  the  accredited  records,  we 
introduce  the  species  hypothetically. 


146  TETRAONID^E  :    GROUSE, 

PRAIRIE    HEN. 
CUPIDONIA  CUPIDO  (L.)  Bd. 

Char.  Larger  than  the  Ruffed  Grouse.  Tail  very  short.  Legs 
feathered  to  the  toes.  A  tuft  of  long  pointed  feathers  on  each 
side  of  the  neck,  beneath  which  is  a  naked  space  capable  of  great 
inflation.  Plumage  of  the  under  parts  barred  transversely. 

Writing  in  1868,  Dr.  Coues  speaks  of  the  Prairie 
Fowl  in  the  following  terms :  "  This  species  is  still 
known  to  reside  in  certain  localities  in  New  England, 
though  much  less  numerous  than  formerly,  and  doubtless 
destined  shortly  to  become  extinct."  He  cites  Martha's 
Vineyard  and  Naushon,  as  well  as  Long  Island,  upon 
the  testimony  of  previous  writers  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  v, 
1868,  p.  287).  Mr.  Allen  had  before  stated  it  to  be 
"  nearly  extinct  in  Massachusetts."  A  few,  he  said, 
still  occasionally  visit  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State 
from  Long  Island,  where  the  bird  still  lived  at  that 
date  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  1864,  p.  85).  In  1839,  ac- 
cording to  the  Rev.  W.  B.  O.  Peabody,  the  only  place 
where  it  was  still  found  was  Martha's  Vineyard  and  one 
small  island  near  it,  though  once  very  common  in  Massa- 
chusetts (Rep.  B.  Mass.,  1839,  P-  355)-  Mr.  Merriam's 
advices  are  as  follows  :  — 

"  The  Prairie  Chicken,  or  Pinnated  Grouse,  Cupidonia 
cupido  (Linnd)  B.,  was  formerly  a  resident  of  New  Eng- 
land, but,  like  the  Wild  Turkey,  was  exterminated  many 
years  ago  —  at  least  so  far  as  the  mainland  is  concerned, 
for  it  is  said  that  a  few  still  exist  on  some  of  the  islands 
south  of  Cape  Cod  (Naushon,  for  example,  and  perhaps 
Martha's  Vineyard).  However,  it  is  pretty  certain  that 
many  years  have  elapsed  since  the  last  '  wild  chicken ' 


CUPIDONIA    CUPIDO  I    PRAIRIE    HEN.  147 

was  seen  in  Connecticut,  for  even  Linsley,  in  1842,  gave 
it  as  a  bird  of  the  past.  Nuttall,  ten  years  earlier  (in 
1832),  said  that  they  were  still  met  with  'on  the  brushy 


FIGS.  30,  31.  — HEAD  AND  FOOT  OF  PRAIRIE  HEN.    Natural  size. 

plains  of  Long  Island,  and  in  similar  shrubby  barrens  in 
Westford,  Connecticut'  "  (Rev.  B.  Conn,  1877,  p.  101). 

In  Mr.  Allen's  List  of  1878  (Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  p.  22) 
the  statement  is  made  of  the  former  commonness  of  the 


148  TETRAONID^E  I    GROUSE. 

bird  in  Massachusetts,  and  of  its  extirpation  long  since 
from  all  portions  except  Martha's  Vineyard,  where  a  few 
"  are  said  "  still  to  exist.  At  p.  37  of  the  same  admirable 
catalogue,  under  head  of  "  Introduced  undomesticated 
species,"  the  writer  speaks  of  their  introduction  at  dif- 
ferent times  in  Barnstable  County,  adding  that  "  none  of 
them  or  their  descendants  are  certainly  known  to  still 
exist  there." 

Viewing  the  "  perhaps  "  and  "  it  is  said  "  of  the  later 
records,  it  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  pronounce  without 
reserve  of  the  preservation  of  this  fine  game  bird  in  our 
country  up  to  the  present  time.  According  to  Mr. 
Purdie,  quite  a  little  colony  still  lives  on  Martha's  Vine- 
yard, Mass.,  the  last  New  England  stronghold  of  the 
species.  (See  Maynard's  Birds  of  Eastern  North  Amer- 
ica, part  xiv,  July,  1880,  p.  351.) 

It  would  seem  perfectly  feasible  to  stock  suitable 
localities  with  Prairie  Hens,  which,  if  protected  by 
stringent  law  for  a  period  of  years,  might  then  resume 
the  role  of  the  fine  game  bird  which  the  species  formerly 
took  in  New  England. 


CANADA  GROUSE,  OR  SPRUCE  PARTRIDGE. 
CANACE  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Reich. 

Chars.  Male  :  Tail  of  sixteen  feathers,  rounded,  black,  with  a 
broad  orange-brown  terminal  bar.  No  obviously  peculiar  feath- 
ers on  the  side  of  the  neck.  Legs  feathered  lo  between  the 
toes.  The  usual  naked,  colored  strip  of  skin  over  the  eye. 
Prevailing  color  black,  with  numerous  sharp  white  bars  and 
spots  on  the  under  parts,  and  on  the  upper  parts  finely  waved 
with  gray  or  tawny.  Length,  about  16.00;  wing,  7.00;  tail, 


CANACE  CANADENSIS  I  CANADA  GROUSE. 


149 


5.50.  Female  :  nowhere  continuously  black,  but  much  varie- 
gated with  brown,  tawny  and  white  ;  the  same  orange  colored 
tail-bar,  not  so  well  denned.  In  size,  rather  less  than  the  male. 

The  normal  limit  of  dispersion  of  the  Canada  Grouse 
southward  divides  the  Canadian  from  the  Alleghanian 
Fauna,  enabling  us  to  draw  the  line  between  the  two 
with  greater  exactitude,  perhaps,  than  that  afforded  by  the 
distribution  of  any  other  of  our  birds.  The  fine  creature 
resides  in  all  the 
evergreen  wood- 
ed, and  especially 
in  the  swampy, 
parts  of  North- 
ern New  England, 
and  is  not  a  migra- 
tory species.  It  is 
said  to  be  common 
at  Umbagog,  in 
Maine,  and  to  be 
ordinarily  limited 

southward  by  the  White  Mountain  range.  The  few  in- 
stances in  which  this  Grouse  has  been  shown  to  occur 
beyond  the  region  indicated  must  be  regarded  as  irregu- 
lar, if  not  wholly  accidental.  Mr.  Allen,  very  properly, 
it  seems  to  us,  considers  the  two  reported  Massachusetts 
captures  as  accidental.  One  of  these  was  in  the  hem- 
lock woods  of  Gloucester,  in  September,  1 85 1  ;  the  other 
in  Roxbury,  about  1865  (Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  636; 
and  Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  22).  Farther  south, 
the  Spruce  Grouse  is  unknown,  even  as  a  straggler. 

Like  others  of  its  family,  this  Grouse  nests  on  the 
ground,  usually  in  swampy,  secluded  localities.  The 
eggs  are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  young  may 


FIG.  32.  —  HEAD  OF  CANADA  GROUSE. 
Natural  size. 


150  TETRAONIM:  :  GROUSE. 

be  found  by  the  middle  of  June.  When  surprised  with 
her  brood,  the  parent  bird  is  very  courageous  in  their 
defence,  even  attacking  the  intruder  who  threatens  the 
peace.  The  nest  is  made  of  twigs,  leaves,  grasses,  and 
moss,  and  much  art  is  often  displayed  to  conceal  it. 
The  eggs,  to  the  number  of  a  dozen  or  more,  are  less 
elongate  than  those  of  some  Grouse,  broader  at  the  butt, 
and  more  pointed  at  the  other  end ;  thus  approaching 
the  shape  characteristic  of  Partridge  eggs,  and  being 
like  those  of  Ptarmigan  in  size  and  form.  The  follow-, 
ing  measurements  of  selected  examples  from  a  large 
series  show  the  size,  shape  and  range  of  variation  :  1.70 
by  1.25;  1.70  by  1.20;  1.65  by  1.25;  1.65  by  1.15. 
High  in  the  oviduct  the  egg  is  creamy-white.  This 
color  is  washed  over  to  a  varying  degree  of  intensity 
with  rich  chestnut-brown  —  generally  a  pale  "creamy" 
brown  —  and  is  further  dotted,  spotted,  sometimes  even 
splashed  and  blotched,  with  a  very  dark,  heavy  shade  of 
the  same  color,  the  markings  being  numerous,  strong  and 
bold,  of  no  determinate  shape,  and  very  irregularly  dis- 
tributed. These  markings  are  only  an  intensification, 
in  spots,  of  the  ground  color,  but  are  very  heavy,  and 
show  a  decided  approach  to  the  peculiarly  dark  and 
heavy  pattern  of  Ptarmigan  eggs. 


RUFFED   GROUSE,  OR   PARTRIDGE. 

BON  AS  A  UMBELLA  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Tarsi  incompletely  feathered.  Head  crested.  Tail  large 
and  fan-shaped,  usually  of  18  broad  obtuse  feathers.  A  con- 
spicuous ruffle  of  lengthened  feathers  on  each  side  of  the  neck. 
Tail  gray  or  brown,  with  broad  subterminal  black  zone,  and 


BONASA    UMBELLA :    RUFFED    GROUSE.  151 

finely  barred  or  vermiculated  with  black.  Feathers  of  the  ruff 
glossy  dark  brown  or  black.  Primaries  fuscous,  marked  with 
whitish  on  the  outer  webs.  Under  parts  whitish  or  pale  tawny, 
variously  marked  with  brown,  chiefly  in  bars,  the  throat  chiefly 
immaculate ;  upper  parts  intimately  blended  olive,  brown,  gray 
black  and  white,  the  general  effect  being  black  and  white  or  tawny 
spots  on  a  reddish-brown  ground.  Varies  interminably  in  the 
precise  tone  and  pattern  of  the  markings.  Female  resembling  the 
male  :  the  ruff  less  developed  and  not  so  intensely  colored. 
Length,  16.00-18.00;  extent,  about  22.00;  wing  and  tail,  each 
6.00-7.00;  tarsus,  about  1.75  ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  about  2.00. 

This  fine  bird  is  the  most  abundant  and  generously 
distributed  kind  of  Grouse  in  New  England,  inhabiting 
wooded  and  swampy  portions  of  our  country,  without 
regard  to  special  geographical  distribution.  In  fact, 
Grouse  of  this  species,  in  one  or  another  of  its  several 
varieties,  occur  in  nearly  all  the  woodland  of  North 
America,  and  are  very  closely  related  to  the  Hazel 
Grouse  of  Europe,  Bonasa  betulina.  The  characters  of 
any  Bonasa^  or  "  ruffled  "  Grouse,  are  so  strongly  marked 
that  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  recognizing  it,  and 
no  confusion  with  species  of  Canace,  still  less  with  any 
of  the  Partridges  proper.  Whatever  the  special  tone 
and  pattern  of  coloration  of  these  birds,  the  soft,  silky 
black  frill  on  the  neck,  and  the  amply  fan-shaped  tail, 
should  be  distinctive  at  a  glance.  Yet  great  uncertainty 
does  find  its  way  into  the  minds  of  many  who  have 
ample  means  of  judging,  as  to  the  character  of  this  bird. 
Much  of  this  is  traceable  to  the  vague  use  of  the  name 
"  Partridge  "  to  designate  birds  not  only  specifically  but 
also  generally  distinct  from  one  another.  Both  the 
Canace  canadensis  and  Bonasa  umbella  are  true  Grouse, 
as  witnessed  by  the  feathering  of  the  shank  and  nos- 
trils ;  but  in  New  England  they  are  both  often  called 


152  TETRAONID^E  I   GROUSE. 

"  Partridges,"  the  real  Partridge  of  the  United  States 
being  termed  a  Quail.  In  the  Southern  States  the  case 
is  still  further  complicated  by  calling  Bonasa  a  "  Pheas- 
ant." This  confusion  in  nomenclature  is  an  inheritance 
from  the  earliest  English  settlers  of  our  country,  who 
naturally  called  any  bird  new  to  them  by  a  name  suggested 
by  its  real  or  fancied  resemblance  to  some  European 
species  with  which  they  were  familiar.  Most  of  the 
error  resulting  from  such  practice  ceases  in  the  course 


FIG.  33.  —  HEAD  OF  RUFFED  GROUSE.    Natural  size. 

of  time  to  be  mischievous,  or  even  disappears,  as  in  the 
case  of  our  Robin,  Ttirdus  migratori2is)  which  familiar 
bird  no  one  confounds  with  the  European  "  Robin  Red- 
breast," the  very  existence  of  which  is  little  more  than 
a  memory  of  nursery  tales  with  most  persons  in  this 
country.  The  matter  stands  very  differently,  however, 
with  our  game  birds  of  the  gallinaceous  tribe,  the  con- 
fusion of  nomenclature  being  so  hopeless  that  natural- 
ists, after  repeatedly  returning  to  the  charge,  generally 
give  up  in  dispair  of  doing  away  with  it. 

The  most  remarkable  trait  in  the  disposition  of  the 
Ruffed  Grouse  is  that  which  confirms  the  bird  in  the 


BONASA    UMBELLA  :    RUFFED    GROUSE.  153 

habit  of  making  the  noise  called  "  drumming."  Here 
again  not  only  sportsmen  but  the  best  naturalists  are 
singularly  discordant  in  the  explanation  they  give  of  the 
curious  feat.  Mounted  upon  a  fallen  log  or  stump,  the 
Grouse  puffs  out  its  feathers,  spreads  its  tail,  raises  its 
crest,  and  opens  its  "  umbrellas  ;  "  and  then,  with  its  head 
drawn  close  to  the  body,  struts  stiffly  and  consequen- 
tially about.  So  far,  the  performance  tallies  with  what 
every  one  has  seen  when  a  Turkey-cock  displays  what  a 
superb  masculine  creature  it  takes  itself  to  be,  and 
probably  all  of  our  Grouse  exploit  in  a  similar  manner, 
though  each  one  after  a  fashion  of  its  own,  when  inflated 
with  erotic  vanity.  Just  as  the  Turkey-cock  "gobbles" 
at  such  times,  so  do  other  Gallince  give  vent  to  the  most 
uncouth  sounds,  the  volume  of  which  is  so  vastly  in- 
creased, in  the  cases  of  many  of  the  Grouse,  by  the 
great  air-sacs  which  are  developed  beneath  the  skin  of 
the  neck,  that  the  hollow  reveberations  may  be  heard  at 
a  great  distance.  The  noise  which  proceeds  from  the 
Ruffed  Grouse,  however,  is  not  vocal  but  instrumental, 
and  that  it  results  from  amazingly  rapid  vibration  of  the 
wings  is  certain.  For  one  who  is  near  enough  during 
the  performance  may  see  that  the  wings  move  so  rap- 
idly that  the  strokes  dissolve  to  the  eye  in  a  haze  on 
each  side  of  the  creature,  like  that  perceived  when  a 
Humming-bird  is  hovering  before  a  flower.  But  just  how 
the  noise  is  made  is  a  question  which  has  been  confi- 
dently answered  in  at  least  four  different  and  irrecon- 
cilable ways.  First,  say  some,  the  bird  beats  its  wings 
against  the  log  or  stump  upon  which  it  stands.  Sec- 
ondly, it  strikes  the  outside  of  the  wings  together  over 
its  back.  Thirdly,  it  claps  its  wings  against  the  sides 
of  its  body,  like  a  rooster  about  to  crow.  Fourthly,  it 


I  54  TETRAONID^E  :    GROUSE. 

beats  the  air.  Those  who  are  interested  to  follow  up 
the  subject  may  refer  to  Dr.  Coues'  Birds  of  the  North- 
west, where  the  views  of  many  writers  are  collated  and 
compared,  the  author  coming  to  the  conclusion  that  the 
last  explanation  here  given  is  the  correct  one.  No  one 
who  has  heard  the  whirring  of  the  tiny  Humming-bird, 
or  the  "  booming  "  of  the  night-hawk,  and  witnessed  the 
extraordinary  aerial  antics  of  the  latter  bird  at  the 
moment  the  sound  is  produced,  can  doubt  that  the  rapid 
movement  of  feathers  in  the  air  may  make  so  much 
noise  that  there  is  no  difficulty  in  explaining  the  rum- 
bling sounds  that  come  from  the  Ruffed  Grouse  in  the 
same  way,  contrary  as  it  is  to  the  familiar  clapping  of 
the  wings  of  the  barn-yard  fowl.  The  bird's  "  music  " 
would,  therefore,  appear  to  be  literally  that  of  a  wind 
instrument  —  unlike  the  vocalization  of  most  Grouse, 
and  also  different  from  the  playing  upon  a  stringed  in- 
strument which  results  in  the  stridulation  of  many  in- 
sects, which  literally  fiddle  upon  themselves  by  scraping 
together  different  parts  of  the  body.  As  to  the  reason 
why  the  Grouse  indulges  in  such  performances,  it  may 
be  said  that  it  is  primarily  a  manifestation  of  sexual 
vigor  and  desire,  universally  admired  by  the  fair  of  the 
opposite  sex,  like  all  other  masculine  demonstrations, 
from  the  most  delicately  suggestive  to  the  most  effec- 
tually operative.  But  the  Grouse  drums  both  in  and 
out  of  love ;  so  that  it  seems  to  be  done  often  for  his 
own  amusement,  or  to  work  off  his  animal  spirits.  The 
excessive  muscular  motility  induced  when  the  bird  has 
his  spasms  may  be  imagined  when  we  reflect  that  the 
great  stiff  wings  move  up  and  down  too  rapidly  to  be 
perceived  by  the  human  eye,  and  that  millions  of  cubic 
yards  of  air  are  set  in  vibration  audible  to  our  dull  ears. 


BONASA  UMBEkLA:  RUFFED  GROUSE.       155 

In  the  greater  part  of  May,  and  early  in-  June,  you  may 
find  the  nest  in  the  woods,  oftenest  in  low  swampy 
places  or  tangled  undergrowth,  at  the  foot  of  a  bush  or 
stump,  or  alongside  of  a  prostrate  log.  It  is  a  rude 
domicile,  —  merely  a  slight  hollow  in  the  ground,  lined 
with  some  leaves  or  a  little  grass  or  moss.  The  eggs 
are  characteristic  of  the  species,  differing  both  in  form 
and  color  from  those  of  most  Grouse ;  they  approach 
the  pyriform  contour  —  very  broad  and  blunt  at  one  end, 
and  sharp  at  the  other  —  usually  seen  in  Partridge 
eggs,  and  also  lack  the  heaviness  of  coloring  common  to 
most  Grouse's  eggs,  and  at  a  maximum  in  those  of  Ptar- 
migan. The  eggs  are  creamy-colored,  varying  from  pale, 
creamy  white  to  rich  creamy-brown ;  they  may  be  im- 
maculate, or  scarcely  dotted  in  fine  points  only,  though 
they  sometimes  have  small  round  spots  of  pale  chocolate- 
brown  set  in  amongst  countless  minute  dots.  In  number 
they  range  from  8  or  10  to  a  dozen  or  more,  according  to 
the  age  and  vigor  of  the  parents  or  other  circumstances  ; 
and  in  size  they  measure  about  one  and  two-thirds  by 
one  and  a  fourth  inches.  They  are  said  to  be  deposited 
at  intervals  of  twenty-four  hours  till  the  set  is  completed, 
and  to  hatch  in  about  eighteen  days  from  the  beginning 
of  incubation.  The  young  begin  to  ramble  about  as 
soon  as  they  are  hatched,  like  little  chickens,  and  in  fact 
like  all  the  "  praecocial "  Gallince  and  Grallatores  ;  the 
mother  leads  tljem  in  paths  of  peace  and  pleasantness, 
as  well  as  she  can  judge,  where  food  is  most  abundant, 
and  shelter  from  enemies  is  most  likely  to  be  secured  — 
the  thickest  cover  of  tangle,  where  the  ground  is 
springy,  being  the  favorite  resort.  She  is  motherly  in 
the  extreme ;  her  maternal  devotion  is  not  seldom 
proven  by  the  vigilance  and  address  she  displays  to  get 


156  TETRAONID^E  :    GROUSE. 

her  little  ones  hidden  from  threatened  danger  before 
she  thinks  of  her  own  safety,  and  her  courage  in  such 
an  emergency  will  even  lead  her  to  risk  her  own  life  in 
their  defence.  In  our  country,  as  well  as  generally  in 
northern  portions  of  the  range  of  this  Grouse,  one  brood 
seems  to  be  all  that  the  birds  can  successfully  produce 
and  rear  as  a  rule  ;  for  the  chicks  grow  tardily,  and  are 
not  off  their  parents'  hands  till  well  toward  the  waning 
summer ;  so  that  the  broods  of  callow  young  found  un- 
usually late  in  the  season  are  probably  to  be  accounted 
for  by  some  accident  to  the  happy  course  of  domestic 
affairs  early  in  the  season. 

The  flesh  of  this  bird  is  white,  and  good  for  the  table. 
The  Grouse  ranks  high  as  a  game  bird  in  the  estimation 
of  some  sportsmen,  but  its  pursuit  is  attended  with 
great  uncertainty  and  difficulty,  except  in  localities 
where  the  birds  are  very  abundant.  It  is  very  fatiguing  to 
follow  them  in  their  fastnesses  of  swamp  and  tangle ;  they 
behave  before  a  dog  with  more  regard  to  their  own  ideas 
than  to  the  wishes  of  their  w6uld-be  destroyers  ;  they 
get  up  with  startling  suddenness,  and  fly  off  with  amaz- 
ing celerity;  altogether  their  instinct  of  self-preserva- 
tion is  "functionally  developed"  to  a  high  rate  of 
efficiency,  as  a  physiologist  might  say,  and  they  would 
be  still  more  numerous  did  not  these  very  qualities 
stimulate  the  ardor  of  the  sportsman  to  their  ceaseless 
persecution.  Being  robust,  hardy  birds,  much  more  so 
than  Partridges,  they  stand  our  hard  winters  well,  prob- 
ably very  seldom  freezing  to  death  or  getting  snowed  up 
to  their  destruction,  accidents  to  which  the  smaller  and 
more  delicate  Partridges  are  frequently  exposed  in  our 
latitudes.  Having  an  extensive  and  varied  bill  of  fare, 
in  numerous  small  fruits,  both  hard  and  soft,  in  season, 


ORTYX    VIRGINIANA  I   THE   QUAIL,  OR   BOB  WHITE. 

in  numberless  insects  during  a  part  of  the  year,  and  in 
various  leaves  and  buds  at  another,  life  may  be  quite 
worth  living  for  these  brave,  self-reliant  and  judicious 
creatures.  Let  us  imagine  them  to  be  resigned  to  the 
inevitable  having  to  live,  even  though  they  be  neither 
contented  nor  happy ;  and  as  finding  in  that  necessity 
the  logical  refuge  from  the  doubt  raised  by  many  half- 
fledged  philosophers  whether  life  be  worth  living. 


THE   AMERICAN   PARTRIDGE,   QUAIL,   OR 
BOB-WHITE. 

ORTYX  VIRGINIANA  (L.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Tarsi  and  nasal  fossae  naked.  A  small  erectable  crest  on 
the  head.  No  peculiar  feathers  on  side  of  neck.  Throat  of 
male  white,  of  female  tawny.  Upper  parts  blended  brownish- 
red  and  gray  ;  lower  parts  whitish,  with  many  sharp  dark  marks, 
especially  on  the  breast  and  about  the  white  on  the  throat. 
Length  about  9.00  ;  extent,  14.50  ;  wing,  4.50  :  tail,  2.75. 

The  well-known  and  abundant  Bob-white,  called  "Quail," 
in  New  England,  where  the  Ruffed  Grouse  is  called  "  Par- 
tridge," and  named  "  Partridge  "  further  south,  wherever 
the  Ruffed  Grouse  is  called  "  Pheasant," — this  paragon 
of  good  qualities,  from  the  sportsman's  standpoint,  has 
been  ascribed  in  general  terms  to  all  New  England,  as 
by  Dr.  Brewer  for  example,  but  certainly  upon  hasty 
conclusions.  Though,  owing  to  its  habit  of  colonizing 
particular  spots  beyond  its  general  range,  and  to  some 
extent  to  its  habit  of  moving  back  and  forth  from  caprice 
or  according  to  vicissitudes  of  the  weather,  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  trace  the  exact  limit  of  its  northward  dispersion, 


158  TETRAONIDjE  I    GROUSE. 

the  bird  may  be  said  to  inhabit  at  present  only  the  three 
southern  New  England  States.  That  it  overlaps  at 
times,  or  in  particular  localities,  into  the  other  three,  is 
doubtless  a  fact.  It  is  a  true  component  of  the  Alle- 
ghanian  and  other  more  southern  Faunae,  its  range 
being  complementary  to  that  of  the  Spruce  Grouse, 
Canace  canadensis :  and  the  scattering  coveys  in  south- 
ern Maine,  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  are  rather 
evidence  of  this  fact  than  of  the  assumption  that  the 
bird  should  be  considered  native  to  New  England  at 
large.  The  range  appears,  moreover,  to  have  been  arti- 


FIG.  34.  —  BILL  AND  FOOT  OF  QUAIL. 

ficially  restricted  of  late  years  as  a  consequence  of  the 
persecution  to  which  the  birds  are  always  subjected.  In 
fine,  Massachusetts  is  practically  the  limit  of  the  Bob- 
white,  and  it  is  not  found  to  be  numerously  or  evenly 
distributed  throughout  that  State. 

A  contributor  to  Minot's  "Birds  of  New  England" 
has  prepared  the  following  agreeable  sketch :  "  The 
Quail  are  abundant  in  the  three  Southern  States  of  New 
England,  except  in  the  colder  and  more  hilly  portions. 
They  are  not  found  much  to  the  east  or  north  of  Bos- 
ton, in  the  neighborhood  of  which,  however,  they  are 
resident  throughout  the  year.  Our  observations  on 


ORTYX    VIRGINIANA  :    THE    QUAIL,  OR    BOB-WHITE.       159 

them  naturally  begin  at  that  season  of  the  year  when 
they  relinquish  the  habits  of  extreme  cunning  and  vigi- 
lance for  that  of  confidence  in  man's  respect  lor  domes- 
tic life,  that  is  in 
the  early  part  of 
summer.  Though 
among  the  har- 
diest and  most 
active  of  feath- 
ered creatures, 
they  are  prudent 
in  spring,  and  do 
not  commit  them- 
selves to  the 
risks  of  incuba- 
tion until  they 
have  received  full 
assurance  of  fit- 
ting weather.  In 
this  respect  they 
differ  from  the 
peculiar  but  more 
venturesome 
Woodcock,  whose 
premature  endea- 
vors, founded  up- 
on the  first  de- 
ceptive Smile  Of  FlG.3S._CocKANDHENQyAIL.  Natural  size. 

spring,  to  raise  a 

family,  are  often  defeated  by  an  unexpected  snow-storm. 
The  Quail  do  not  begin  until  May,  when  they  announce 
the  fact  to  all  their  neighbors  within  half  a  mile  by  their 
loud,  frank  and  cheery  whistle,  which  is  generally  trans- 


I6O  TETRAONID.E  :    GROUSE. 

lated  into  our  uncouth  language  as  'Bob-white.'  The 
male  is  not  now  constrained  by  fear,  and  instead  of  any 
false  pride,  he  has  a  proper  sense  of  his  own  comely 
appearance.  He  knows  that  he  is  attending  adequately 
to  his  own  department  in  the  great  business  of  nature, 
and  is  entirely  willing  that  any  one  should  see  him.  He 
has  no  fear  of  man,  but  keeps  an  eye  to  the  hawks,  cats, 
and  those  other  predatory  enemies,  who  respect  neither 
time,  place  nor  season.  He  is  willing  to  take  any 
amount  of  family  responsibility ;  nature  cannot  ask  too 
much  of  him  ;  he  will  whistle  to  two  or  three  wives  if 
necessary ;  and  he  will  even  accept  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  assume  the  part  of  husband  toward  his  brother's 
widow.  Should  his  wife  propose  a  family  of  fifteen  in- 
stead of  nine,  he  does  not  complain  ;  and  moreover, 
having  escorted  his  young  family  about  for  some  time, 
he  is  ready  to  go  through  with  this  once  or  even  twice 
more.  In  fact,  he  carries  his  amiability  and  industry  so 
far  as  often  to  introduce  a  half-grown  family  to  the  rigors 
of  winter,  so  that  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  a  covey  of 
these  little  '  cheepers,'  when  hardly  able  to  fly,  even  in 
November.  A  successful  pair  of  Quail  will  often  turn 
out  twenty-five  young  in  a  season.  During  the  period 
of  incubation,  the  Quail  often  appear  on  our  lawns,  or 
on  the  walls  and  fences  by  the  roadside.  Though  their 
bills  are  especially  adapted  to  crushing,  and  their  crops 
to  dissolving  small  grains  and  seeds,  they  are  also  fond 
of  grubs,  worms  and  other  insects,  and  are  thus  useful 
in  destroying  the  farmer's  pests." 

The  eggs  of  the  American  Partridges  differ  much 
among  themselves,  those  of  some  species,  as  the  beauti- 
ful crested  creatures  of  the  southwest,  being  as  heavily 
colored  as  those  of  Grouse,  while  others  are  pure  white, 


ORTYX  VIRGINIANA:  THE  QUAIL,  OR  BOB-WHITE.     161 

without  any  markings.  Bob-white's  are  of  the  latter 
character.  They  are  broad  and  blunt  at  one  end  and 
sharp  at  the  other,  and  measure  about  1.25  by  i.oo. 
The  nest  is  a  mere  depression  in  the  ground,  lined  with 
a  little  grass  or  a  few  leaves,  and  usually  hidden  beneath 
the  friendly  shelter  of  overgrowing  grass  weeds  or 
bushes  —  not  seldom  a  heap  of  brushwood.  The  num- 
ber of  eggs  laid  is  wholly  indeterminate.  A  female  may 
be  found  incubating  eight  or  ten  only ;  while  in  other 
cases,  in  which  very  likely  more  than  one  parent  con- 
tributes some  of  the  number,  as  many  as  two  dozen  have 
been  found  together. 

Among  the  perennial  conundrums  propounded  by 
persons  short-sighted  in  respect  to  the  laws  of  nature  is 
one  which  touches  the  present  bird.  Quite  a  literature 
sprang  up  recently  in  the  sporting  papers  in  answer  to 
the  question,  "  Can  Quail  withhold  their  scent  ?  "  No 
one  doubts  that  under  some  circumstances  the  best  dog 
is  unable  to  find  a  Quail  by  following  his  nose,  or  to 
detect  its  presence  by  the  sense  of  smell.  Some  sup- 
pose this  due  to  causes  outside  the  bird,  and  wholly  in- 
dependent of  the  bird's  intentions  or  actions,  such  as 
the  state  of  the  atmosphere.  Others  maintain  that  the 
bird  can  consciously,  that  is,  intentionally  and  design- 
edly, prevent  the  escape  of  its  effluvium,  and  thus  secure 
immunity  from  pursuit.  The  former  explanation  seems 
to  be  quite  beside  the  point,  and  the  latter  to  be  absurd. 

No  act  of  conscious  volition  —  that  is,  the  operation 
of  will-power,  could  effect  such  a  result,  even  supposing 
a  Quail  to  know  when  it  would  be  of  advantage  to  retain 
its  effluvium,  and  to  try  to  do  so  —  which  supposition  is 
itself  unreasonable.  The  true  explanation  would  seem 
to  be  that  certain  actions  of  the  bird,  instinctively  ac- 


1 62  TETRAONID^E  :    GROUSE. 

complished  in  the  face  of  danger,  result  in  the  reten- 
tion of  the  scent ;  the  retention  being,  furthermore, 
favored  or  hindered  by  certain  circumstances,  such  as 
the  state  of  the  atmosphere. 


NOTE  ON  THE  INTRODUCTION  OF  THE  MESSINA  OR 
MIGRATORY  QUAIL  OF  EUROPE,  Coturnix  dactylisonans, 
in  New  England.  Of  late  years,  hundreds  of  these 
birds,  quite  different  generically  as  well  as  specifically 
from  any  American  representatives  of  the  Partridge 
family,  have  been  imported  and  turned  out  in  various 
parts  of  New  England.  Though  they  are  known  in 
some  instances  to  have  paired  and  bred,  the  result  of  the 
experiment  is  still  doubtful,  and  their  naturalization  in 
New  England  does  not  appear  to  be  an  accomplished 
fact.  Lack  of  space  forbids  us  to  enter  into  the  details 
of  the  experiment.  Mr.  Allen  has  given  a  summary 
notice  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  36);  and  the  fol- 
lowing records  may  also  be  consulted :  Forest  and 
Stream,  issues  of  June  28,  Aug.  2,  9,  23,  Sept.  6,  Nov. 
15,  22,  29,  Dec.  6,  27,  1877 ;  June  20,  Aug.  8,  22,  1878  ; 
Jan.  i,  Feb.  20,  Mar.  13,  20,  June  19,  26,  Aug.  14,  28, 
Oct.  16,  Dec.  u,  25,  1879. 


WATER  BIRDS. 


FAMILY  CHARADRIID^:  PLOVERS. 

BLACK-BELLIED  PLOVER. 
SQUATAROLA  HELVETICA  (L.)  Cuv. 

Chars.  Distinguished  from  all  other  Plovers  by  having  a  small 
hind  toe,  no  trace  of  which  is  seen  in  the  rest  of  the  species. 
Plumage  speckled,  like  that  of  the  Golden  Plover,  without  any 
of  the  rings  and  bands  of  color  which  characterize  the  species  of 
jEgialites.  Adult  breeding  plumage  (rarely  seen  in  the  U.  S.)  : 
Face  and  entire  under  parts,  black ;  upper  parts,  variegated 
with  black  and  white  or  ashy  ;  tail,  barred  with  black  and  white  ; 
wing  quills,  dusky,  with  large  white  patches.  Adult  winter 
plumage,  and  young :  Under  parts,  white,  more  or  less  shaded 
with  gray ;  the  throat  and  breast  speckled  with  dusky ;  upper 
parts  speckled  with  blackish,  white  and  yellowish  ;  rump,  white, 
with  dark  bars;  legs,  dull  bluish.  Old  birds  changing  show 
every  gradation  between  the  plumages  given.  Length,  n.oo- 
12.00;  extent  about  23.50;  wing,  7.25;  tail,  3.00;  bill,  i.oo- 
1.25  ;  tarsus,  2.00;  middle  toe,  1.20. 
x 

Passing  from  the  Land  Birds,  we  enter  now  upon  the 
no  less  varied  and  scarcely  less  extensive  series  of  those 
feathered  creatures  which  are  seldom  found  except  by 
the  water's  edge,  or  which  are  as  much  at  home  in  the 
limpid  element  as  upon  its  fixed  shores  ;  which,  when 
not  on  the  water  itself,  do  not  as  a  rule  live  in  trees  and 

163 


164  CHARADRIID^E  :    PLOVERS. 

bushes  above  the  ground,  but  alight  upon  the  earth  it- 
self. This  series  is  collectively  called  "Water  Birds;" 
the  members  of  which,  representing  many  families  and 
even  orders,  fall  in  the  two  extensive  categories  of  wad- 
ing or  grallatorial  birds,  and  of  swimming  or  natatorial 
birds,  according  as  their  organization  fits  them  more  es- 
pecially for  one  or  the  other  of  these  modes  of  life.  The 
former  are  usually  small-bodied,  long-legged,  and  long- 
necked  birds ;  the  Snipes  and  Plovers,  and  the  Herons 
and  Cranes,  respectively  exemplify  some  of  the  leading 


FIG.  36.  —  HEAD  AND  FOOT  OF  SQUATAROLA.    Natural  size. 

families  ;  while  the  thick-set,  short-limbed,  web-footed 
birds  of  all  kinds  illustrate  the  great  variety  of  ways  in 
which  the  natatorial  plan  of  structure  is  carried  out.  In 
round  numbers  about  two-fifths  of  the  Bird  Fauna  of 
New  England  consists  of  water  birds. 

The  Plovers,  as  a  group,  like  the  members  of  the 
closely  related  Snipe  family,  are  noted  for  the  extent 
and  regularity  of  their  migrations.  Many  species  pro- 
tract their  mysterious  journey  to  very  high  latitudes  in 
the  spring  time ;  in  the  fall,  when  the  bird-tide  ebbs, 
they  visit  us  again  for  a  few  weeks,  and  pass  on  south- 


SQUATAROLA  HELVETICA  :  BLACK-BELLIED  PLOVER.  165 

ward.  The  majority  of  such  birds  are,  therefore,  vernal 
and  autumnal  migrants  with  us,  neither  nesting  within 
our  limits,  nor  enduring  the  rigors  of  our  inhospitable 
season. 

The  Black-bellied  Plover,  called  "  Bull-head "  or 
"  Beetle-head  "  by  the  gunners,  is  a  good  illustration  of 
these  remarks.  It  is  common  during  the  migration, 
particularly  coastwise,  but  never  seen  at  other  seasons. 
It  arrives  late  in  April,  and  remains  but  a  short  time, 
seeming  anxious  to  be  on  its  way,  as  if  it  knew  what  a 
long  journey  must  be  accomplished  in  order  that  the 
sudden  and  fleeting  Arctic  summer  may  see  its  brood 
safely  on  wing.  Returning  in  the  fall  from  these  dreary 
hyperborean  regions,  it  greets  us  early  in  September, 
and  then  seems  in  no  hurry  to  seek  other  feeding 
grounds.  For  several  weeks  it  lingers  with  us  in  flocks, 
both  along  the  coast  and  on  the  uplands,  before  pro- 
ceeding further  on  its  long  and  devious  pathway  towards 
the  tropics. 

Eggs  of  this  species,  collected  on  the  Arctic  coast, 
east  of  Anderson  River,  July  4,  1864,  afford  the  follow- 
ing description  :  Size  2.10  by  1.40,  to  1.90  by  1.40,  in  a 
set  of  four.  Color,  brownish-drab,  or  rather  dark 
brownish-clay  color,  very  thickly  marked  at  and  around 
the  larger  end,  for  nearly  half  the  length  of  the  egg,  with 
irregularly  sized  and  shaped  spots  and  blotches  of 
brownish-black,  and  over  the  rest  of  the  surface  thinly 
spotted  with  smaller  marks  of  the  same  color.  The 
larger  markings  around  the  butt  are  to  a  great  extent 
confluent,  producing  an  imperfect  wreath.  A  very  few 
paler  shell  markings  are  noted  on  close  scrutiny.  The 
nest  was  a  depression  of  the  ground  on  the  side  of  a 
slight  eminence,  lined  with  a  few  dried  grasses.  An- 


1 66  CHARADRIIDjE  I    PLOVERS. 

other  set  of  four  from  the  same  source  average  more 
elongated,  the  most  pointed  one  being  2.30  long  by  1.45 
broad  ;  the  markings  are  much  more  evenly  distributed 
over  the  whole  egg,  are  smaller,  and  tending  to  a  con- 
fused, scratchy  pattern,  as  well  as  rather  lighter  in  tone. 
A  third  set  of  four  from  Franklin  Bay  are  intermediate 
between  the  other  two  in  these  respects,  though  most 
like  the  first  described. 


GOLDEN    PLOVER. 

CHARADRIUS  DOMINICUS  Mull. 

Chars.  Plumage  of  the  upper  parts  speckled,  and  of  the  under  parts 
in  the  breeding  season  black,  as  in  the  last  described  species  ; 
but  much  of  the  speckling  golden  yellow,  and  the  rump  and 
upper  tail-coverts  like  the  back  ;  forehead  and  broad  line  over 
the  eye  to  nape,  white;  tail-feathers  grayish-brown,  with  imper- 
fect white  or  ashy  bars  ;  axillars,  gray  or  ashy.  At  other  times, 
under  parts  much  the  same  as  in  last  species.  No  hind  toe. 
Length,  io.oo-n.oo;  extent,  20.00;  wing,  7.00  or  less;  tail, 
under  3.00;  bill,  i.oo  or  less;  tarsus,  1.65;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  i.io. 

The  Golden  Plover  is  even  better  known  to  the  gun- 
ners than  the  last,  being  during  the  migrations  more  abun- 
dant and  generally  distributed.  It  has  a  number  of  local 
names,  some  of  them  applied  both  to  this  species  and 
the  Black-bellied  Plover,  by  those  who  do  not  discrim- 
inate between  these  generically  distinct  birds.  The 
general  habits  of  the  two  are  counterpart.  The  Golden 
Plover  appears  during  the  latter  part  of  April,  making 
but  a  flying  visit,  and  it  is  then  off  for  its  favorite  breed- 
ing grounds  in  the  far  north.  In  the  return  movement 
some  birds  come  by  the  latter  part  of  August ;  their 


CHARADRIUS    DOMINICUS  I    GOLDEN    PLOVER. 


numbers  are  increased  in  September,  and  all  through 
that  month,  and  perhaps  for  a  few  days  in  October,  fine 
sport  may  be  had.  The  birds  at  this  season  are  fat, 
tender  and  delicious,  being  excelled  by  few  in  the  deli- 
cate sapidity  of  their  flesh.  They  are,  consequently,  in 
great  demand  for  the  market,  and  are  incessantly  pur- 
sued not  only  by  gentlemen  who  are  fond  of  shooting, 
but  by  professional  pot-hunters. 

The  Golden  Plover  breeds  only  far  northward,  and  is 
not  ordinarily  seen 
in  the  United 
States  in  the  ad- 
vanced breeding 
plumage  above 
noted.  It  appears 
to  have  no  special 
lines  of  migration, 
but  passes  over 
the  country  at 
large,  sometimes 
in  vast  flocks,  its 
autumnal  progress 
being  more  leis- 
urely than  its  advance  in  the  spring.  It  reaches  its 
breeding  grounds  late  in  May  —  the  barren  grounds 
of  British  America,  and  the  coasts  and  islands  of  the 
Arctic  Ocean.  The  eggs,  as  usual  in  this  family,  are 
oftenest  four  in  number.  They  are  of  the  ordinary 
pyriform  shape,  pointed  at  one  end  and  very  obtuse  at 
the  other.  The  following  measurements  may  indicate 
extremes  of  variation  in  shape  —  2.00  by  1.35;  1.80 
by  1.40.  They  are  distinguished  from  those  of  S.  hel- 
vetica by  their  decided  average  smaller  size  ;  and  though 


FIG.  37.  — GOLDEN  PLOVER. 


1 68  CHARADRIIDjE  :    PLOVERS. 

the  general  pattern  of  coloration  is  similar,  the  shade  is 
not  quite  the  same.  The  ground  color  is  rather  a  pale, 
brownish-clay  color,  than  a  drab,  in  most  specimens, 
although  some  shade  quite  closely  into  the  drab  of  hel- 
vetica. Some  specimens  have  the  ground-color  ex- 
tremely pale,  grayish-white,  nearly  dead  white.  .On  all 
the  eggs  the  markings  are  exceedingly  bold,  dark  and 
numerous  ;  it  is  impossible  to  describe  adequately  the 
endless  variations  in  precise  pattern.  The  average  egg 
is  heavily  marked  about  the  butt  with  blackish-brown, 
in  large,  irregular  spots  and  blotches ;  while  similar 
smaller  spots  are  sparsely  distributed  over  the  rest  of 
the  surface.  Sometimes  markings  are  much  lighter 
brown,  a  rich,  dark  sienna,  and  they  are  sometimes  dis- 
tributed over  the  whole  surface  with  approximate  unifor- 
mity, but  the  decided  tendency  is  to  aggregate  around 
the  butt  in  semi-confluent  masses,  or  a  wreath.  The 
nest  is  a  mere  depression  in  the  ground,  lined  with  a 
few  dried  grasses  or  leaves. 


KILDEER   PLOVER. 

VOCIFERUS  (Z.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Plumage  not  speckled  ;  below,  white  ;  head  and  neck  with 
black  bands  in  the  breeding  season.  Tarsus  about  half  as  long 
again  as  the  middle  toe.  Rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  tawny  or 
orange-brown,  most  of  the  tail-feathers  white  at  base  and  tip, 
suffused  with  orange-brown  in  a  part  of  their  length,  and  with 
I  to  3  black  bars  ;  secondaries  mostly  white,  and  primaries  with  a 
white  space;  forehead  white  ;  a  black  bar  across  the  crown,  and 
two  broad  black  bands  on  the  neck  and  breast ;  bill,  black  ; 
feet,  pale  grayish-blue.  Length  9.00-10.00  ;  extent,  20.00  ;  wing, 
6.00  or  more  ;  tail,  3.50,  much  rounded  ;  tarsus,  about  1.50. 


^EGIALITES    VOCIFERUS  :    KILDEER   PLOVER.  169 

The  Kildeer's  presence  in  New  England  is  under  cir- 
cumstances entirely  different  from  those  that  attend  the 
appearance  of  the  two  species  last  described.  Though  it 
is  one  of  the  birds  most  generally  disposed  over  North 
America,  and  though  its  piercing  cry  is  often  heard  in 
our  fields  and  along  our  estuaries,  the  bird  is  less 
common  in  New  England  and  eastward  than  in  most 
other  portions  of  our  country.  Not  at  one  with  the 


FIG.  38.  — KILDEER  PLOVER.     Natural  size. 

other  species  of  its  own  genera  in  having  a  specially  re- 
stricted habitat,  it  also  differs  from  the  species  of  Cha- 
radrius  and  Squatarola  in  breeding  indifferently  through- 
out its  extensive  range  —  the  bird  being  apparently  wise 
enough  to  give  up  that  search  for  the  North  Pole  which 
is  the  fashionable  infatuation  of  the  present  day.  Some- 
times it  reaches  New  England  from  its  winter  quarters 
by  the  latter  part  of  February ;  its  numbers  increase  in 
March ;  it  nests  with  us,  and  seems  in  no  haste  to  de- 
part in  the  fall,  lingering,  like  the  Kingfisher,  till  it  is 
fairly  frozen  out.  The  nest  of  this  bird  and  of  the 


170  CHARADRIIM:  :  PLOVERS. 

Spotted  Sandpiper  are  those  which,  of  all  the  waders, 
are  oftenest  found  —  it  is  merely  a  slight  depression  of 
ground,  either  in  a  bit  of  shingle  by  the  water's  edge, 
or  in  some  grassy  meadow  or  marshy  spot  not  far  from 
open  water.  The  eggs  are  usually  four  in  number,  very 
broad  at  one  end  and  pointed  at  the  other,  measuring 
1.50  to  i. 60  long  by  about  i.io  broad.  The  ground  is 
a  creamy  clay-color,  sometimes  tending  to  brownish 
but  thickly  blotched,  spotted  and  scratched  with  dark 
or  blackish  brown.  The  markings  are  usually  of  small 
size,  tending  to  speckles  and  scratches  rather  than  full 
spots,  comparatively  few  specimens  being  boldly 
blotched  at  the  longer  end,  where  the  markings  tend  to 
aggregation,  though  they  are  oftenest  numerously  dis- 
tributed over  the  whole  surface.  They  are  usually  laid 
in  May ;  and  not  improbably  in  some  cases  a  second  set 
is  deposited  later  in  the  season. 


WILSON'S    PLOVER. 

WILSONIUS  (Ord)  Cass. 


Chars.  Pale  ashy-brown,  merging  into  fulvous  on  the  nape;  a 
black  bar  on  the  crown,  and  a  broad  black  pectoral  belt,  grayish- 
brown  in  the  female  and  young  ;  no  bright  ring  round  eye;  legs, 
flesh-colored  ;  bill,  black,  extremely  large  and  stout,  nearly  as 
long  as  the  head.  Length,  7.00-8.00  ;  extent,  15.25  ;  wing,  4.50- 
5.00  ;  tail,  2.00,  nearly  square  ;  bill,  0.80;  tarsus,  1.20. 

Unlike  any  of  the  foregoing  Plovers,  Wilson's  is  a 
southern  species,  of  restricted  range  in  the  United 
States,  and  probably  confined  to  the  sea  coast.  So 
rarely  does  it  proceed  northward  beyond  the  coast  of 


^GIALITES    WILSONIUS  I    WILSONS    PLOVER.          I /I 

the  Middle  States,  that  its  presence  in  New  England 
has  been  denied.  Dr.  Brewer  wrote  in  1875  :  "  I  am  in 
doubt  in  regard  to  this  species.  It  is  not  of  Massachu- 
setts, although  my  name  is  usually  quoted  as  authority 
therefor.  Its  occurrence  on  the  coast  of  Connecti- 
cut is  quite  probable,  but  as  I  have  no  data  therefor, 
I  take  it  from  among  the  birds  of  New  England,  at  least 
for  the  present"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  452).  In 
1878,  Mr.  Allen  includes  it  only  hypothetically  among 
the  birds  of  Massachusetts,  stating  that  there  appears  to 
be  no  recent  well  authenticated  instance  of  its  occur- 
rence north  of  Long  Island  (Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878, 
p.  33).  For  Connecticut,  Mr.  Merriam  allows  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Linsley's  early  record  of  a  capture  at  Stratford,  adding 
Mr.  J.  P.  Giraud's  authority  for  its  occurrence  on  Long 
Island  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  102). 

This  was  one  of  the  species  which  caused  quite  a  con- 
troversy between  Dr.  Brewer  and  Mr.  Purdie  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  pp.  72,  91  ;  ii,  1877,  pp.  13,  46). 
The  sum  of  the  evidence  at  that  time  appears  to  have 
been  correctly  indicated  by  Mr.  Purdie  (1.  c.,  1877,  p.  13) ; 
it  consisted  of  the  bird's  known  appearance  on  Long 
Island ;  the  Linsley  record,  which  was  perhaps  properly 
considered  open  to  question  ;  Mr.  Allen's  statement  (in 
Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1869)  to  the  following  effect  :  "It  hence 
seems  unquestionable  that  they  sometimes  occur  in 
southern  New  England,  and  it  would  not  be  strange  if 
they  should  occasionally  reach  the  coast  of  Massachu- 
setts ;  "  together  with  the  general  statement  of  the  bird's 
habitat  by  Coues,  in  the  Birds  of  the  Northwest  :  "  North 
to  Long  Island  and  Connecticut,  probably  to  Massachu- 
setts, but  rare  beyond  New  Jersey." 

There  is  a  late  Long  Island  record  by  Wm.  Dutcher, 


1/2  CHARADRIimE  I    PLOVERS. 

of  a  specimen  shot  in  Shinnecock  Bay,  May  28,  1879 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  242). 

Whatever  uncertainty  may  attach  to  the  early  New 
England  records,  there  can  be  none  respecting  that  re- 
cently given  by  Coues,  of  a  specimen  shot  by  Mr.  Arthur 
S.  Fiske,  at  Gurnett,  Mass,  (not  "  Conn."  as  printed), 
Aug.  22,  1877  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  59). 

If  our  collectors  will  keep  a  sharp  lookout,  no  doubt 
other  specimens  will  be  forthcoming  in  due  time,  not 
only  from  Connecticut,  but  also  from  Massachusetts. 
This  Plover  is  one  of  the  "beach  birds,"  not  unlike  the 
Semipalmated  and  Piping  Ring  Plovers  in  general  ap- 
pearance, but  instantly  to  be  distinguished  by  its  larger 
size  and  great  black  bill.  It  nests  on  the  shingle  back 
of  the  beach,  and  its  eggs,  usually  3  in  number,  offer  the 
following  characters:  "Length,  1.22  to  1.45;  breadth, 
i.oo  to  1.05  ;  ground-color,  pale  olive-drab,  more  inclin- 
ing to  green  in  some  cases,  to  brown  in  others,  but 
always  very  pale,  thickly  marked  all  over  with  blackish- 
brown  in  irregular,  sharply-defined  spots,  small  splashes, 
and  fine  dots.  In  some  specimens  the  markings  show 
a  tendency  to  run  into  fine  lines,  and  in  these  are  the 
smallest,  darkest  and  most  numerous  [most  evenly  dis- 
tributed], and  most  sharply  outlined ;  but  ordinarily  the 
distinctive '  speckled  character  is  maintained.  Com- 
monly the  markings  are  rather  larger,  and  consequently 
more  thickly  set,  on  the  larger  part  of  the  egg,  where 
there  is  also  some  tendency  to  run  together,  though 
scarcely  to  form  a  ring  around  the  butt ;  but  in  none  of 
the  specimens  examined  was  the  pointed  end  free  from 
spots.  Here  and  there  may  usually  be  observed  a  few 
pale,  obsolete  spots,  but  they  are  not  conspicuous  ;  in 
fact,  hardly  to  be  detected  without  close  scrutiny." 


jEGIALITES    SEMIPALMATUS  :    RING   PLOVER.          1/3 

SEMIPALMATED  RING  PLOVER: RING-NECK. 

^EGIALITES   SEMIPALMATUS  (Bp.)  Cab. 

Chars.  Dark  ashy-brown,  with  an  olivaceous  shade  ;  very  broad 
coronal  and  pectoral  black  bars,  in  the  adult  of  both  sexes,  that 
on  the  breast  grayish-brown  in  the  young,  but  still  evident; 
edges  of  eyelids  bright  orange  ;  bill  moderately  short  and  stout ; 
orange  or  yellow,  black-tipped ;  legs  yellowish  ;  toes  conspicu- 
ously semipalmate.  Length,  about  7.00  ;  extent,  14.00 ;  wing, 
4.50;  tail  about  one-half  as  long  as  the  wings,  rounded  ;  bill, 
0.50;  tarsus,  i.oo. 

Two  species  of  "  Ring-necks  "  are  abundant  on  the 
New  England  beaches,  in  flocks  usually,  mixing  indis- 
criminately with  the  various  kinds  of  Sandpipers.  These 
two  are  the  Semipalmated  and  the  Piping  —  both  of 
whose  trim  and  agile  forms  are  mirrored  in  the  glassy 
surface  of  the  wet  sand  as  they  nimbly  follow  the  re- 
treating wave  to  pick  up  the  tiny  creatures  that  the  sea 
has  cast  at  their  feet  for  food,  or  still  more  swiftly  speed 
back  from  the  incoming  breaker  which  would  engulf 
them.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  of  the  two  is  the  com- 
moner during  the  migration.  In  the  breeding  season 
the  Semipalmated  will  scarcely  be  seen,  for  most  of  the 
individuals  which  migrate  along  the  Atlantic  coast  pro- 
ceed beyond  our  limits  before  stopping  to  nest — to 
Labrador,  the  shores  of  which  are  a  favorite  breeding 
place,  and  even  still  further  north.  Some,  however,  are 
said  to  linger  through  the  summer  with  us  ;  Mr.  Samuels 
speaks  of  a  pair  nesting  on  Muskeget  Island,  off  the  coast 
of  Massachusetts,  and  many  other  pairs  are  content  with 
the  sinuosities  of  the  Maine  coast.  The  arrival  of  the 
Ring-necks  in  spring  is  somewhat  in  advance  of  the 


174  CHARADRIIDjE  I    PLOVERS. 

great  body  of  migrants  among  the  land  birds,  occurring 
during  the  latter  part  of  April,  though  their  numbers  are 
greatly  augmented  by  the  middle  of  May.  The  return 
movement  of  those  individuals  that  do  not  remain  to 
breed  is  quite  early  —  some  appear  in  July  ;  the  birds 
become  very  numerous  in  August,  and  so  continue 
well  through  September.  Thousands  are  annually  de- 
stroyed by  the  boys  and  pot-hunters,  who  do  not  hesitate 
to  decimate  their  ranks  by  murderous  discharges  into 
the  innocent  and  unsuspecting  flocks.  The  numbers  of 
these  and  other  beach  birds  have  been  sensibly  dimin- 
ished in  the  years  intervening  since  the  present  writer 
was  guilty  of  the  same  atrocities. 

For  its  nesting  place,  the  Semipalmated  Plover  com- 
monly selects  some  grassy  spot  on  the  marshes  back  of 
the  beach,  oftenest  near  one  of  the  numberless  muddy 
estuaries  that  find  their  way  back  from  the  sea  line. 
The  nidification  is  not  peculiar — merely  a  slight  de- 
pression in  the  ground,  lined  with  a  few  blades  of  grass. 
The  eggs  are  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  those  of 
the  Kildeer,  excepting  in  size  —  the  largest  being  only 
about  1.40  by  0.95,  and  the  dimensions  thence  running 
down  to  1.20  by  0.90.  The  ground  color  ranges  from 
quite  olivaceous  drab  to  pale  clay  color,  or  even  grayish- 
white,  some  of  the  lighter-colored  examples  resembling 
eggs  of  the  Piping  Plover  quite  closely.  Compared  with 
Kildeer's  eggs,  the  markings  are  usually  more  definite, 
larger  and  bolder,  with  little  of  the  scratchiness  of  the 
latter.  A  few  obscure  shell-markings  may  usually  be 
observed.  The  full  normal  number  is  four,  though 
three,  and  even  only  two,  may  be  deposited  —  the  fewer 
numbers  being  generally  observed  in  cases  of  birds 
which  nest  in  the  higher  latitudes. 


jEGIALITES    MELODUS  :    PIPING    PLOVER.  1/5 

PIPING   PLOVER:   PALE   RING-NECK. 

MELODUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 


Chars.  Coloration  above,  very  pale,  ashy-brown  ;  the  black  bands 
about  the  head  narrow,  that  on  the  neck  rarely,  if  ever,  forming 
a  perfect  ring.  In  the  young,  both  of  this  species  and  the  pre- 
ceding, the  black  bands  are  deficient,  being  replaced  by  dark  ash. 
This  species  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  last,  not  only  by  its 
coloration,  but  by  its  very  short,  stout,  obtuse  bill,  and  lack  of 
any  evident  webbing  between  the  middle  and  inner  front  toes. 
It  is  likewise  smaller. 

As  indicated  in  the  preceding  notice  of  the  Semipal- 
mated  Plover,  the  Piping  is  one  of  New  England's  sum- 
mer birds,  breeding  all^long  our  coast  ;  and  it  does  not 
appear  to  proceed  much  north  of  Maine  for  that  pur- 
pose. It  is  particularly  abundant  on  the  coast  of  south- 
ern New  England  in  May,  and  during  August  and 
September,  and  much  more  conspicuous  at  such  times, 
when  flocking  on  the  beaches,  than  when  dispersed  in 
pairs  to  breed.  The  breeding  habits  are  closely  cor- 
respondent with  those  of  its  southern  relative,  Wilson's 
Plover  ;  that  is  to  say,  it  lays  in  the  bare  shingle  of  the 
sea-coast,  rather  than  in  muddy  and  marshy  places  back 
of  the  beach  line.  The  eggs,  too,  are  almost  exactly 
like  those  of  Wilson's  Plover,  excepting  that  they  are 
smaller.  They  may  be  distinguished  at  a  glance  from 
those  of  the  Ring-neck  by  their  light  color  and  fine, 
sparse  speckling.  The  ground  is  clay-color,  or  palest 
possible  creamy-brown,  marked  nearly  uniformly  all 
over,  but  sparsely,  with  small  blackish-brown  dots  and 
specks,  but  no  spots  of  any  size  nor  scratchy  lines  ;  the 
largest  markings  observed  scarcely  exceed  a  pin's  head. 


1/6  CHARADRIIDjE  :    PLOVERS. 

The  dotting  is  sometimes  extremely  fine,  mere  points, 
and  with  it  appear  to  be  always  mingled  a  few  obscure 
shell-markings  of  lilac  or  lavender.  The  egg  appears  to 
be  about  of  the  same  size  (capacity)  as  that  of  the  Ring- 
neck,  but  is  rather  less  elongate  and  pointed.  Several 
specimens  measure:  1.30 by  i.oo;  1.25  by  i.oo  ;  1.20  by 
0.95,  etc.  Four  is  the  usual  number,  laid  late  in  May 
or  early  in  June. 


H.    PALLIATUS:    AMERICAN    OYSTER-CATCHER. 


FAM.  H^EMATOPODID^E  :  OYSTER-CATCHER. 

AMERICAN    OYSTER-CATCHER. 

H.EMATOPUS    PALLIATUS    Temm. 

Chars.  Feet,  3-toed,  very  stout  and  rough,  red.  Bill,  stout, 
straight,  longer  than  head,  much  compressed,  truncate  at  ends 
something  like  a  Woodpecker's,  red.  Head  and  neck  sooty 
blackish,  changing  to  blackish-brown  on  the  back  and  wings. 
Under  parts  of  the  neck,  white  ;  a  large  white  space  on  the 
wings.  A  red  ring  around  eyes.  Sexes  alike.  Length  about 
18.00  ;  extent,  34.00  ;  wing,  10.00  ;  tail,  4.25  ;  bill,  3.00  or  4.00  ; 
tarsus,  2.50. 

This  curious  bird,  though  not  particularly  southern, 
and  common  enough  along  the  coasts  of  the  Middle 
States,  where  it  breeds,  is  nevertheless  a  very  rare  spe- 


Fio.  39.  —  BILL  OF  OYSTER-CATCHER.    Natural  size. 

cies  in  New  England  now,  however  common  it  may  for- 
merly have  been.  The  Oyster-catcher  is  confined 
strictly  to  the  sea-coast,  and  is  one  of  the  wildest  and 
wariest  of  the  beach  birds  —  facts  which  may  account  in 
part  for  its  scarcity  along  shores  where  men  are  plenti- 
ful. Among  the  old  records  of  its  appearance  are  those 


1/8  H,EMATOPOniD,E  :    OYSTER-CATCHER. 

given  by  Brewer  in  Peabody's  Report  of  the  Orni- 
thology of  Massachusetts,  1839,  P-  358,  by  Emmons 
in  Hitchcock's  Report,  1835,  p.  5 — both  perhaps  a 
little  dubious,  and  by  Linsley  in  the  Amer.  Jour. 
Sci.,  xliv,  1843,  p.  265,  who  says  that  the  Oyster- 
catcher  was  then  rare  in  Connecticut,  though  it 
had  not  been  uncommon  in  autumn  a  few  years  pre- 
viously. Coming  to  later  notices,  we  find  Coues  re- 
marking that  the  bird  is  of  very  unusual  occurrence 
along  our  coast  (Pr.  Essex  Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  292).  Mr. 
Maynard  notes  it  as  accidental,  but  one  or  two  instances 
of  its  capture  being  on  record  (Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  139) ; 
while  Mr.  Allen  calls  it  "  accidental  in  summer"  in  Mas- 
sachusetts (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  23).  Dr.  Brewer's 
general  list  of  New  England  birds  includes  the  species 
with  the  asterisk,  and  notes  Massachusetts  and  Maine 
as  localities  —  the  latter  doubtless  on  the  excellent 
authority  of  Mr.  Boardman  of  Calais  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc., 
xvii,  1875,  p.  445). 


TURNSTONE   OR   CALICO-BIRD. 
STREPSILAS  INTERPRES  (L.)  III. 

Chars.  Feet,  four-toed,  red.  Bill,  dark -colored,  hard,  acute,  in  this 
respect  differing  from  that  of  most  wading  birds  —  the  modifica- 
tion of  the  organ,  like  that  which  the  singular  instrument  of 
the  Oyster-catcher  has  undergone,  being  in  adaptation  to  the  par- 
ticular habits  of  the  bird.  The  Oyster-catcher  uses  its  singular 
tool  as  a  burglar  does  a  "jimmy,"  to  pry  open  the  shells  of 
bivalve  molluscs.  As  indicated  by  the  name  "  Turnstone,"  the 
beak  of  the  latter  bird  is  used  to  dislodge  pebbles  along  the  sea- 
shore, to  get  at  the  odd  little  marine  creatures  that  lurk  beneath 
them.  In  other  respects,  the  general  habits  of  the  Turnstone 


STREPSILAS    INTERPRES  I    TURNSTONE. 

agree  with  those  of  Sandpipers,  and  its  haunts  are  similar, 
though  it  naturally  prefers  rocky  coves  and  shingly  places  to  the 
open  sandy  beaches.  The  sexes  are  alike,  but  the  summer  and 
winter  plumages  differ  greatly.  In  the  former  season  the  bird  is 
singularly  patched  and  pied  on  the  upper  parts  with  black,  white, 
gray  and  chestnut,  giving  the  suggestion  of  printed  calico  ;  the 
under  parts,  and  a  large  space  on  the  wings,  are  pure  white,  ex- 
cepting the  black  on  the  breast.  In  winter  the  reddish  coloration 
is  wanting.  Length  about  8.00  ;  extent,  17.00  ;  wing,  5.65  ;  tail, 
2.40  ;  bill,  0.90  ;  tarsus,  i.io. 

A  common  spring  and  autumn  migrant  through  New 
England,  almost  exclusively  along  the  sea-coast.  It  is 
not  found  in  flocks,  like  the  Sandpipers  generally,  but 
alone,  or  only  two  or  three  together,  sometimes  asso- 
ciating with  the  Sandpipers,  but  oftener  satisfied  with 
its  own  company.  It  ap- 
pears among  us  in  April, 
and  sometimes  remains 
through  the  greater  part  of 
May,  after  which  it  is  off  to 
the  hyperborean  regions 
where  it  breeds.  It  returns  FIG.  4o.-Bn.L  OF  TURNSTONE. 

A  Natural  size. 

in  August,  more  numerous- 
ly than  before,  and  lingers  through  the  greater  part  of  the 
autumn.  It  is  one  of  the  most  widely  diffused  of  birds, 
being  found  on  the  sea-coasts  of  nearly  all  countries,  and 
on  many  of  the  larger  inland  waters  of  North  America, 
as  of  other  continents.  Its  peculiarities  almost  entitle 
it  to  be  considered  as  the  type  of  a  family  Strepsilaid&> 
in  which  might  be  also  classified  its  near  relative,  the 
curious  Surf-bird  of  the  Pacific,  Aphriza  virgata. 


ISO  RECURVIROSTRIDjE  :   AVOCETS  :    STILTS. 


FAMILY  RECURVIROSTRID^:  AVOCETS: 
STILTS. 

AMERICAN   AVOCET. 
RECURVIROSTRA  AMERICANA  Gm. 

Chars.  Legs,  blue,  very  long  ;  feet,  4-toed  ;  toes,  webbed.  Bill, 
black,  longer  than  head,  very  slender  and  excessively  acute, 
turned  up  at  the  end.  Iris,  red.  Head  and  neck,  cinnamon- 
brown  in  summer,  ashy  in  winter ;  back,  wing-coverts  and  pri- 
maries, black  ;  general  plumage  and  under  parts,  white.  Length, 
17.00;  extent,  30.00;  wing,  9.00  ;  tail,  3.50;  bill,  3.00-4.00;  tar- 
sus, 3.50.  Female  usually  smaller  than  the  male. 

This  is  a  bird  of  extraordinary  configuration  and 
bizarre  coloration.  Having  long  legs,  like  any  wader 
—  in  fact,  the  length  of  leg  exaggerating  a  usual  pro- 
portion —  the  feet  are  nevertheless  webbed  like  those  of 
a  swimming  bird,  and  the  body  is  flattened  underneath, 
with  thick,  duck-like  plumage  to  resist  the  water.  The 
bill  is  unique,  resembling  a  shoemaker's  awl  in  slender- 
ness,  sharpness  and  curvature  —  and  the  curve  is  up- 
ward. The  black  and  white  pattern  of  coloration,  with 
the  cinnamon  head  and  neck  and  blue  legs,  adds  to  the 
singularity  of  its  appearance.  The  color  of  the  legs 
suggests  the  ludicrous  name  of  "blue-stocking,"  some- 
times applied  ;  but  the  bird  differs  from  those  creatures 
of  our  own  species  which  have  been  so  nicknamed,  in 
being  harmless,  interesting  and  instructive. 

The  Avocet  is  irregularly  distributed  over  nearly  all 
of  temperate  North  America,  from  one  ocean  to  the 
other,  and  from  rather  high  latitudes  in  British  America 
to  Mexico  and  the  Gulf.  Still,  there  are  large  tracts  of 


RECURVIROSTRA    AMERICANA:    AMERICAN    AVOCET.     l8l 

country  seldom  visited,  and  New  England  is  one  of 
these.  Here  the  bird  is  little  more  than  a  straggler, 
though  not  rare  further  South  on  the  Atlantic  coast.  It 
thus  becomes  necessary  to  examine  the  records  for  cases 
of  its  occurrence  among  us. 

The  record  left  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Linsley  is  discred- 
ited by  Mr.  Merriam  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  146)  as 
resting  upon  insufficient  evidence.  But  Mr.  Merriam  is 
able  to  furnish  an  authentic  instance  of  the  presence  of 


FIG.  41.  — HEAD  AND  LEG  OF  AVOCET.    Reduced. 

the  bird  in  Connecticut,  one  of  his  correspondents,  Mr. 
J.  G.  Ely,  writing  to  him,  that  a  specimen  was  found  in 
1871,  between  Saybrook  and  East  Lyme,  in  an  old  seine 
strung  out  on  the  beach  to  dry  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 
103).  Dr.  Brewer  states  this  to  be  "the  only  instance 
of  its  capture  within  our  limits  that  is  on  record,  all  the 
others  having  been  extra-limital  or  without  particulars  " 
(Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  307).  Mr.  G.  A.  Board- 
man  had  indeed  noted  some  years  before  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc., 
ix,  1862,  p.  128),  the  capture  of  a  specimen  in  Maine, 
but  this  turned  out  to  have  been  taken  in  New  Bruns- 
wick. In  1875,  therefore,  Dr.  Brewer  removed  the 
species  from  the  New  England  List,  with  the  following 
comments  :  "  This  has  been  placed  among  the  Birds  of 


I  82  RECURVIROSTRIDjE  I    AVOCETS  :    STILTS. 

New  England  by  Prof.  Verrill  and  Dr.  Coues,  on  the 
strength  of  a  single  specimen  said  to  have  been  taken 
by  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman,  near  Calais.  As  the  specimen 
was  not  taken  near  Calais,  but  at  Point  Lepreaux,  New 
Brunswick,  we  are  without  any  evidence  that  this  bird 
belongs  to  our  fauna,  and  therefore  I  take  it  out "  (Pr. 
Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  452).  In  preparing  the  Mas- 
sachusetts list  in  1878,  Mr.  Allen  could  find  no  author- 
ity for  including  the  Avocet  among  the  birds  of  that 
State,  and  accordingly  only  gave  it  a  hypothetical  place, 
on  the  strength  of  the  1862  New  Brunswick,  and  the 
1871  Connecticut  cases  above  mentioned  (Bull.  Essex 
Inst,  x,  1875,  p.  34).  These  seem  to  have  remained 
the  only  authenticated  records  until  very  recently.  Mr. 
N.  C.  Brown  has  given  the  interesting  note  of  the  cap- 
ture of  a  specimen  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  Maine,  Nov.  5, 
1878  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  Io8)-  Mr-  Purdie  has 
noted  another  taken  in  Natick,  Middlesex  Co.,  Mass., 
making  the  third  authentic  New  England  one,  and  the 
first  for  Massachusetts  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881,  p. 
123).  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman  and  Mr.  Montague  Cham- 
berlain have  each  lately  noticed  the  casual  occurrence 
of  Avocets  in  New  Brunswick  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880, 
p.  241,  and  vii,  1882,  p.  105). 


BLACK-NECKED    STILT. 

HIMANTOPUS  MEXICANUS  (Mull.)  Ord. 

Chars.  Legs,  exceedingly  long,  slender,  red  ;  feet,  semipalmate  ; 
no  hind  toe.  Bill,  black,  very  slender  and  acute,  longer  than 
head.  Iris,  red.  Color,  white,  with  lustrous  black  wings  and 
back,  and  black  stripe  up  back  of  neck.  Length  about  15.00 ; 
extentt  27.00  ;  wing,  8.75 ;  tail,  3.00 ;  bill,  2.50 ;  tarsus,  4.00. 


HIMANTOPUS    MEXICANUS:    BLACK-NECKED    STILT.      183 


The  case  of  this  bird,  probably  the  longest-legged 
feathered  biped  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  its  body, 
is  quite  similar  to  that  of  the  Avocet,  so  far  as  its  pres- 
ence in  New  England  is  concerned.  It  is  simply  a 
straggler,  though  it  is  known  to  have  occurred  oftener 
than  the  Avocet  has  been  ascertained  to  have  done  — 
for,  as  we  have  seen,  there  are  only  three  unexceptionable 
records  in  the  case  of  the 
latter  species.  Nearly  every 
writer  upon  our  New  Eng- 
land birds  refers  to  the 
Stilt,  but  in  terms  that  leave 
their  remarks  open  to  objec- 
tion, and  the  earlier  authori- 
ties on  the  subject  may  be 
passed  over.  I  have  learned 
of  no  Connecticut  occur- 
rence. For  Massachusetts, 
Mr.  Maynard  has  usually  of 
late  been  quoted  as  author- 
ity. This  Writer  Says  that  FlG"  42'  ~  ^"-NECKED  STILT. 

he  was  "  assured  by  gunners  and  others,"  that  it  was  occa- 
sionally seen  along  the  sandy  beaches  (Nat.  Guide,  1870, 
p.  143).  This  authority  is  cited  by  Allen  (Am.  Nat.,  iii, 
1870,  p.  638;  and  Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  23),  who 
also  brings  up  the  testimony  of  Mr.  Boardman,  to  the 
effect  that  the  latter  saw,  some  years  previously,  in  the 
Boston  market,  two  specimens  which  he  was  assured  had 
been  taken  in  Massachusetts.  The  only  positive  and 
unequivocal  case  that  has  come  to  my  knowledge  is  that 
given  by  Mr.  Boardman,  of  a  specimen  taken  at  Calais, 
Maine,  in  1862  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  128).  For  New 
Brunswick,  see  Chamberlain,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882, 
p.  105. 


1 84      PHALAROPODIM:  :  PHALAROPES. 


FAM.  PHALAROPODID^E:  PHALAROPES  OR 
COOT-FOOTED  SANDPIPERS. 


WILSON'S   PHALAROPE. 
STEGANOPUS  WILSONI  (Sab.}  Cones. 

Chars.  Bill  long,  equalling  the  tarsus,  exceeding  the  head,  ex- 
tremely slender,  terete  and  acute.  Culmen  and  gonys  broad  and 
depressed.  Lateral  grooves  long  and  narrow,  reaching  nearly 
to  tip  of  bill.  Interramal  space  narrow  and  very  short,  extend- 
ing only  half  way  to  the  end  of  the  bill.  Nostrils  at  the  extreme 
base  of  the  bill.  Wings  of  moderate  length.  Tail  short  ; 
deeply  doubly-emarginate  ;  legs  greatly  elongated;  tibiae  bare 
for  a  considerable  distance  ;  tarsus  exceeding  the  middle  toe. 
Toes  long  and  slender,  broadly  margined  with  an  even,  unscol- 
loped  membrane,  united  but  for  a  brief  space  basally.  Claws 
moderately  long,  arched  and  acute.  Adult  in  breeding  dress : 
Bill,  legs  and  feet,  black  ;  crown  of  head,  pale  ash,  passing  into 
white  along  a  narrow  strip  on  the  nape.  A  narrow,  distinct, 
pure  white  line  over  the  eye.  Sides  of  neck  intense  purplish- 
chestnut,  or  dark  wine-red  ;  anteriorly  deepening  upon  the  auri- 
culars  into  velvety  black  ;  posteriorly  continued,  somewhat  duller 
in  tint,  as  a  stripe  along  each  side  of  the  back  to  the  tips  of  the 
scapulars.  Other  upper  parts  pearly-ash,  blanching  on  the  rump 
and  upper  tail-coverts.  Wings  pale  dull  grayish-brown  ;  the 
coverts  slightly  white-tipped,  the  primaries  dusky-brown,  their 
shafts  brownish-white,  except  at  tip.  Tail  marbled  with  pearly- 
gray  and  white.  All  the  under  parts  pure  white,  but  the  fore- 
part and  sides  of  the  breast  washed  with  pale  chestnut-brown,  as 
if  with  a  weak  solution  of  the  rich  color  on  the  neck,  and  a  faint 
tinge  of  the  same  along  the  sides  of  the  body  to  the  flanks.  The 
female  is  larger  and  handsomer  than  the  male.  Length,  9.50  ; 
extent,  16.00;  wing,  5.00;  tail,  2.00;  bill,  1.25;  tarsus,  1.25. 
Specimens  just  fledged  are  in  a  plumage  not  generally  known  : 


STEGANOPUS    WILSONI  :    WILSON'S    PHALAROPE.        185 

Bill,  blackish,  about  i.io  long;  legs,  dull  yellow  (tarsus,  1.20; 
middle  toe  and  claw,  1.05).  Upper  parts,  including  crown  and 
upper  surface  of  wings,  brownish-black,  each  feather  edged  with 
rusty-brown,  very  conspicuous  on  the  long  inner  secondaries, 
and  giving  a  general  aspect  like  that  of  a  Sandpiper  of  the  genus 
Actodromas.  Upper  tail-coverts  pure  white.  Tail  clear  ash, 
edged  and  much  marbled  with  white,  the  ash  darker  at  its  line 
of  demarcation  from  the  white.  Line  over  eye,  and  whole  under 
parts,  white,  the  breast  with  a  faint  rusty  tinge,  and  the  sides 
slightly  marbled  with  gray.  Quills  dusky,  the  secondaries  white- 
edged,  and  the  shafts  of  the  primaries  whitish.  This  stage  is  of 
extremely  brief  duration,  beginning  to  give  way,  almost  as  soon 
as  the  bird  is  full  grown,  to  the  clear  uniform  ashy  of  the  upper 
parts  of  the  fall  and  winter  condition.  The  change  in  some  spe- 
cimens shot  early  in  August  is  already  very  evident,  clear  ashy 
feathers  being  mixed,  on  the  crown  and  all  the  upper  parts,  with 
such  as  just  described.  Size  of  the  smallest  specimen  only  8.25 
in  length  by  14.50  in  extent ;  wing,  4.60. 

Several  wading  birds,  properly  so  classed,  furnish  ex- 
ceptions to  the  rule  that  these  birds  have  but  slight 
powers  of  swimming,  only  exercised  in  an  emergency. 
The  Avocet  is  a  fair  swimmer,  the  toes  being  nearly  full- 
webbed  ;  still  better  swimmers  are  the  Coots  and  Phala- 
ropes,  birds  not  very  closely  allied,  yet  alike  fitted  for  highly 
aquatic  life  and  habitual  swimming  by  the  presence  of 
broad  lobes  on  the  toes.  Phalaropes  are  swimming 
Sandpipers  —  with  the  modification  of  the  feet  just  men- 
tioned, a  thin  shank  to  cut  the  water,  a  depressed  boat- 
shaped  body  to  rest  upon  it,  and  thickened,  duck-like 
under  plumage  to  prevent  wetting  of  the  body.  Not 
one  of  the  waders  surpasses  the  Phalaropes  in  ease  and 
variety  of  movement,  grace  and  elegance  of  form,  or 
beauty  of  color  when  in  perfect  plumage ;  and  Wilson's 
Phalarope  is  the  most  beautiful  of  them  all.  Their 
domestic  relations,  however,  are  simply  scandalous.  The 


1 86         PHALAROPODID.E  :  PHALAROPES. 

fair  sex  conducts  the  courtship,  and  several  of  them  may 
be  seen  in  spring  pursuing  some  modest  male,  who  un- 
dertakes the  r61e  of  St.  Anthony  without  success,  and 
when  captured,  submits  with  what  grace  he  may  to  in- 
cubating such  eggs  as  his  flourishing  partner  assures 
him  are  his  own. 

The  chorus  of  New  England  writers  swells  into  one 
grand  symphony  in  treating  of  this  bird's  presence  in 


FIG.  43.  —  HEAD  OF  WILSON'S  PHALAROPE.    FIG.  44. — FOOT  OF  NORTHERN 
PHALAROPE.     Natural  size. 

their  country,  the  theme  being  that  Wilson's  Phalarope 
is  a  rare  straggler.  So  true  is  this  statement  that  I 
have  been  unable  to  find  more  than  a  single  authentic 
case  recorded  of  late  years.  Much  that  has  been  inti- 
mated on  the  subject  seems  to  flow  from  some  statement 
made  by  Audubon.  I  have  not  had  time  to  look  up 
what  he  says  ;  but  the  reader  who  can  tear  himself  away 
from  these  fascinating  pages  long  enough  to  do  so,  will 
be  able  to  inform  himself  on  the  subject  (see  Orn.  Biog., 
iii,  1835,  p.  400;  8vo.  ed.,  v,  1842,  p.  299).  As  so  fre- 
quently proves  to  be  the  case,  the  Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  is 
good  authority,  and  the  only  one  we  have  so  far,  for  the 
recurrence  of  this  Phalarope  in  Connecticut.  He  speaks 
of  a  specimen  killed  in  Bridgeport,  and  sent  to  him  by 


LOBIPES  HYPERBOREUS  :  NORTHERN  PHALAROPE.   l8/ 

a  friend  (Am.  Jour.  Sci.,  xliv,  1843,  p.  268).  Merriam 
copies  this  statement  as  his  only  Connecticut  authority 
(Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  103).  All  the  following  records 
appear  to  flow  from  Audubon,  and  to  be  without  later 
confirmation  :  —  Putnam,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  i,  1856,  p.  217  ; 
Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  1864,  p.  86 ;  Coues,  Pr.  Essex 
Inst.,  v,  1868,  p.  292  ;  Brewer,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875, 
p.  445  ;  Allen,  Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  23.  We  have, 
however,  an  authentic  Rhode  Island  instance  (Newport, 
Aug.  2,  1880;  Jencks,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  237). 


NORTHERN    PHALAROPE. 
LOBIPES  HYPERBOREUS  (L.)  Cuv. 

Chars.  Bill  generally  as  in  Steganopus,  but  shorter,  basally 
stouter,  and  tapering  to  a  very  acute,  compressed  tip  ;  ridge  of 
culmen  and  gonys  less  depressed ;  interramal  space  longer  and 
broader.  Wings  long.  Tail  short,  greatly  rounded.  Legs  and 
feet,  short ;  tibiae  denuded  for  but  a  brief  space ;  tarsus  not 
longer  than  the  middle  toe.  Toes  very  broadly  margined  with  a 
membrane  which  is  scolloped  or  indented  at  each  phalangeal 
joint,  and  united  basally  as  far  as  the  second  joint  between  the 
outer  and  middle  toe,  and  as  far  as  the  first  joint  between  the 
inner  and  middle  toe.  The  feet  are  thus  semipalmated.  Claws 
very  small  and  short.  Coloration  something  like  that  of  Wil- 
son's Phalarope  ;  but  the  much  smaller  size  of  the  species,  to- 
gether with  the  generic  characters  here  given,  will  suffice  for 
identification.  Length,  7.00;  extent,  13-5°;  wing»  4-25;  tail, 
2.00  ;  bill,  i.oo ;  tarsus,  i.oo. 

Though  we  are  already  among  the  "  water  birds,"  we 
have  not  yet  seen  any  one  to  be  fairly  called  an  off-the- 
coast  or  sea-bird  proper.  This  Phalarope,  however,  is 
such  a  creature,  and  a  very  curious  compound  it  is  of  a 
wader  and  a  swimmer.  Take  one  of  our  common  little 
Sandpipers,  fit  it  for  sea  by  making  oars  of  its  feet,  and 


1 88  PHALAROPODIM:  :  PHALAROPES. 

launch  it  upon  the  great  deep  —  you  have  the  Northern 
Phalarope.  You  may  see  a  flotilla  of  these  little  ani- 
mated cockle-boats  riding  lightly  on  the  waves  anywhere 
off  the  coast  of  New  England.  Let  a  storm  arise  too 
violent  for  such  frail  creatures  to  outride,  and  they  will 
run  into  harbor  anywhere,  or  even  be  blown  far  inland. 
Such  facts  as  these  give  the  clue  to  the  occasional  and 
irregular  occurrences  of  the  Phalarope  in  New  England. 
They  are  not  rare  —  hundreds  and  thousands  of  them 
disport  off  the  coast  during  a  great  part  of  the  year. 
Thus  Mr.  Harold  Herrick  remarks  upon  their  abund- 
ance about  Grand  Menan  :  "  Thousands  may  be  seen  all 
summer  on  the  *  Ripplings '  about  eight  miles  from 
Menan,  where  they  congregate  to  feed  on  the  shrimps 
and  animalculae  that  are  drifting  in  the  eddies  made  by 
the  advancing  and  receding  tide.  They  never  come  on 
shore  unless  driven  by  storms,  and  are  so  tame,  espe- 
cially in  foggy  weather,  that  I  have  almost  run  them 
down  with  a  small  boat." 

The  statement  of  the  appearance  of  the  birds  "  all 
summer  "  leads  to  the  inference  that  they  breed  with 
us,  but  I  do  not  know  that  the  fact  has  been  established. 
They  are  chiefly  known  as  spring  and  summer  vagrants 
along  the  coast,  as  not  common,  and  as  irregular  at  that. 
Their  general  range  is  very  extensive,  embracing  the 
coast  lines  and  large  inland  waters  of  most  of  the  north- 
ern hemisphere.  They  are  known  to  breed  in  very  high 
latitudes,  and  to  migrate  to  the  tropics  in  winter.  Thus 
they  occur  in  Spitzbergen  in  summer,  and  on  the  shores 
of  the  Polar  sea.  That  they  are  not  strictly  maritime  is 
shown  by  the  fact  of  their  presence  in  our  great  lakes 
and  rivers,  as  in  Ohio,  Illinois,  Wyoming,  etc. 

Large  series  of  eggs  of  this  Phalarope  show  such  a 


PHALAROPUS    FULICARIUS  :    RED    PHALAROPE.         189 

range  of  variation  in  color  that  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
scribe them  intelligibly.  The  ground  varies  from  dark 
greenish-olive,  or  brownish-olive,  through  various 
lighter  drab-tints,  nearly  to  a  buffy-brown,  and  in  some 
instances  to  a  light  grayish-drab.  The  markings  are 
usually  very  bold  and  heavy,  consisting  of  large  spots 
and  the  still  larger  splashes  produced  by  their  con- 
fluence, mingled  with  dots  and  scratches  in  inter- 
minable confusion.  The  markings  are,  in  general, 
pretty  evenly  distributed,  sometimes  aggregated  about 
the  butt,  and  in  rarer  instances  forming  a  complete, 
definite  circle.  In  a  few  instances  all  the  markings  are 
mere  dots.  In  general,  the  heaviness  and  size  of  the 
markings  bear  some  proportion  to  the  intensity  of  the 
ground-color.  The  color  of  the  markings  is  dark  bistre, 
chocolate,  and  sometimes  still  lighter  browns.  The 
longest  and  narrowest  egg  measures  1.30  inches  by  only 
0.75  ;  a  short  and  thick  one  only  i.io  by  0.82  ;  average 
about  i. 20  by  0.80.  The  eggs  are  three  or  four,  oftenest 
four,  and  are  laid  in  June  —  more  frequently  in  the  latter 
half  of  the  month  —  in  a  depression  of  the  ground,  vari- 
ously lined  with  withered  vegetation. 


RED   PHALAROPE. 
PHALAROPUS  FULICARIUS  (L.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Bill  scarcely  longer  than  the  head  or  tarsus  ;  very  stout  for 
this  family  ;  much  depressed  ;  so  broad  as  to  be  almost  spatulate, 
the  tip  only  moderately  acute.  Upper  mandible  with  the  ridge 
broad  and  flattened,  its  apex  arched  and  decurved,  its  lateral 
grooves  wide  and  shallow.  Interramal  space  broad  and  very 
long,  extending  nearly  to  the  end  of  the  bill.  Nostrils  sub- 


PHALAROPODIDuE  :    PHALAROPES. 

basal,  at  some  distance  from  the  root  of  the  bill.  Wings  long 
and  pointed.  Tail  long,  rounded,  the  central  rectrices  projecting, 
rather  acuminate.  The  legs  and  feet  are  much  as  in  Lobipes, 
but  the  semipalmation  is  of  less  extent.  The  species,  in  any 
plumage,  is  readily  distinguished  from  the  Northern  Phalarope 
by  these  generic  characteristics.  The  plumage  is  very  variable 
according  to  season.  In  full  breeding  dress,  the  under  parts  are 
dull  mahogany-brown;  the  upper  parts  slate-gray,  varied  with 
blackish  and  yellowish  ;  the  bill  yellowish,  with  dark  tip.  In  size 
between  Wilson's  and  the  Northern  Phalarope. 

The  remarks  offered  upon  the  Northern  Phalarope 
apply  without  qualification  to  the  present  species,  the 
manner  of  whose  appearance  in  New  England  is  sub- 
stantially the  same.  It  occurs  along  the  coast  chiefly 
as  a  migrant,  and  is  not  common  or  regular  in  its  ap- 
pearance. There  is  no  occasion  to  cite  particular 
records  of  its  capture,  as  these  simply  confirm  what  has 
been  advanced  in  general  terms.  Mr.  Boardman  speaks 
of  its  being,  like  the  last  species,  a  summer  resident 
along  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  it  may  not  improbably  be 
found  breeding  there,  like  its  nearest  ally,  with  which  it 
so  commonly  found  associated.  The  mode  of  nesting  is 
the  same,  and  the  eggs  are  not  to  be  distinguished  with 
any  certainty,  though  averaging  larger.  Specimens 
before  me  from  Arctic  regions  measure  1.30  by  0.90; 
1.15  by  0.90;  1.25  by  0.85. 


PHILOMELA    MINOR  :    THE    WOODCOCK.  IQI 


FAMILY  SCOLOPACIDyE:  SNIPE,  ETC. 

THE  WOODCOCK. 
PHILOHELA  MINOR  (Gm.)  Gr. 

Chars.  Under  parts  russet,  varying  from  pale  reddish-buff  to 
ruddy  brownish  ;  generally  palest  on  the  throat.  Upper  parts 
intimately  varied  with  russet,  black,  brown  and  silvery-gray  ; 
an  irregular  dark  line  from  bill  to  eye.  Head  peculiarly  shaped, 
with  large  eyes  in  the  back  upper  corner.  Bill  perfectly  straight, 
much  longer  than  head,  high  ridged  at  base,  amply  furrowed, 
very  sensitive  at  the  end,  the  knobbed  tip  of  the  upper  mandi- 
ble overhanging  the  end  of  the  lower  mandible  ;  gape  of  the 
mouth  much  contracted.  Legs  short  for  a  wader,  feathered  to  the 
heei ;  toes  long  and  slender  ;  tail  short ;  wings  rounded,  with 
several  outer  primaries  narrowed  and  falcate,  bistoury-like. 
Body  plump ;  neck  short.  Female  larger  and  heavier  than  the 
male.  Length,  about  11.00;  extent,  18.00;  wing,  5.00;  tail, 
2.50  ;  bill,  2.50-3.00  ;  tarsus,  1.15. 

The  Woodcock  is  found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  the 
United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi,  and  in  adjoining 
British  Provinces.  Occurring  thus  both  north  and 
south  of  New  England,  it  is  in  that  section  of  country 
more  numerous  during  the  migrations  than  at  other 
seasons ;  more  numerous  in  summer  than  in  winter ; 
yet  actually  a  permanent  resident.  There  is  no  month 
in  the  year  in  which  Woodcock  may  not  be  found. 
These  are  the  final  facts  in  the  case ;  more  super- 
ficially and  practically,  the  bird  is  a  summer  resi- 
dent, arriving  as  soon  the  snow  leaves,  and  departing 
with  the  freezing  of  the  watery  soil  in  which  its 


192 


SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 


food  is   sought.     March   and   April,  and  October,   are 
the   moving   months.     From    early   in   April   to   some 


time   in   May  are  the  laying  and   incubating  periods  ; 
domestic  concerns  occupy  the  birds  in  the  rest  of  May 


PHILOMELA    MINOR  :    THE    WOODCOCK.  193 

and  in  June,  after  which,  with  the  celebration  of  the 
American  political  idea,  —  now  old  enough  to  be  less 
barbaric  in  its  methods  of  self-glorification,  —  the  Wood- 
cock season  begins  ;  that  is  to  say,  a  considerable  propor- 
tion of  the  young  birds  are  grown  strong  enough  to  fly 
in  order  to  be  shot.  It  is  a  twin  relic  of  barbarism  that 
allows  them  to  be  killed  at  this  tender  age ;  the  close 
time  should  not  cease  before  September,  in  which 
month  as  well  as  the  succeeding  one,  the  best  sport  may 
be  had.  But  whether  or  not  July  shooting  be  per- 
missible, Woodcock  should  be  let  alone  in  August,  when 
they  are  moulting,  and  poorly  able  to  take  care  of  them- 
selves. The  regular  course  of  events  may  be  inter- 
fered with  by  irregularities  in  the  season,  or  the  otherwise 
accidental  destruction  of  eggs,  causing  very  late  broods 
to  appear. 

Nesting  is  early  —  by  the  middle  of  April  eggs  are  to 
be  found  in  their  slight  nests  —  mere  depressions  in 
some  dry  spot  in  swampy  land,  generally  the  cover  of 
alders  and  birches,  sometimes  more  open  places.  The 
normal  number  of  eggs  is  four,  averaging  in  size  about 
i. 50 X  i. 20  ;  they  are,  however,  as  variable  in  dimensions 
as  in  coloration,  which  latter  is  some  shade  of  buff, 
thickly  spotted  and  blotched  with  browns,  neutral  and 
lilac  tints.  In  shape,  they  are  less  prominently  pyriform 
than  those  of  most  waders.  It  is  a  fact  that  when 
danger  threatens,  the  parent  will  transport  her  callow 
young  to  a  place  of  greater  security,  carrying  them 
either  in  her  claws,  like  a  hawk,  or  close-pressed  to  her 
lower  bosom  between  the  legs.  The  Woodcock  is 
largely  nocturnal,  feeding  most  by  night.  During  the 
courtship,  it  has  a  variety  of  extravagant  actions  both 
in  the  air  and  on  the  ground,  accompanying  the  display 


194  scoLOPAciD,E  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

with  curious  sounds,  sometimes  musically  modulated. 
When  sitting  closely  little  or  no  effluvium  is  disen- 
gaged, so  that  the  best  dog  may  be  at  fault,  though  pass- 
ing close  by  the  nest.  The  general  habits  of  the  bird, 
from  the  sportsman's  standpoint,  are  too  well  known  to 
need  description.  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  swiftness 
of  the  bird  on  wing  is  exaggerated,  the  difficulty  in 
shooting  it  down  arising  rather  from  the  irregularity  of 
its  course,  and  the  thickness  of  the  cover  in  which  it  is 
usually  flushed. 

NOTE.  —  The  European  Woodcock,  Scolopax  rusticula,  is  a 
straggler  to  this  country,  and  has  been  taken  at  points  which 
render  it  probable  that  it  passed  New  England  to  reach  them 
(Newfoundland,  Long  Island,  New  Jersey,  Virginia).  It  has  con- 
sequently been  included  hypothetically  in  the  New  England  List. 
Though  the  inference  is  permissible,  the  fact  remains  to  be  demon- 
strated. It  may  be  recognized,  among  other  characters,  by  its 
greatly  superior  size  and  lack  of  the  attenuated  outer  primaries. 


THE  AMERICAN  SNIPE;  WILSON'S  SNIPE. 
GALLINAGO  WILSONI    (Temm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  varied  with  black,  brown,  and  a  buff  or  reddish 
shade,  the  latter  forming  especially  two  lengthwise  stripes  on 
each  side,  along  the  inner  border  of  the  wing.  Under  parts 
white  ;  throat  and  breast  spotted  and  streaked  with  brownish,  the 
lining  of  the  wings  and  axillary  feathers  and  sides  of  the  body 
barred  regularly  with  black.  Tail  barred  with  black,  white  and 
chestnut ;  some  of  the  lateral  feathers  narrowed.  Crown  dark 
with  a  median  light  stripe.  Length,  about  10.00  ;  extent,  16.25  ; 
wing,  5.00;  tail,  2.00;  bill,  2.50,  but  variable ;  tarsus,  1.40. 

The    name   of   "English"    Snipe,    of    common   but 
erroneous  application  to  this  bird,  is  a  misnomer,  the 


GALLINAGO    WILSONI  :    AMERICAN    SNIPE.  IQ5 

bird  being  technically  different  from  that  of   England, 
as  any  one  may  perceive  on  comparing  the  two,  though 


the  general  resemblance  is  quite  close.     It  is  another  of 
the  deplorable  instances  in  which  paucity  of  language 


196  SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

has  caused  American  birds  to  be  called  by  the  name  of 
their  nearest  European  relative,  real  or  supposed  —  a 
circumstance  tending  to  promulgate  error  and  confusion. 
We  should  do  our  best  to  suppress  such  wrong  names  in 
every  instance,  even  without  such  an  example  as  the 
well-nigh  hopeless  muddle  about  our  Bob-white  to  warn 
us.  "Jack  Snipe"  is  another  soubriquet  of  our  Gal- 
linago,  of  no  obvious  application  indeed,  but  not  par- 
ticularly bad,  though  also  employed  to  designate  the 
Pectoral  Sandpiper,  Actodromas  maculata. 

Throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  United  States  the 
Snipe  is  found  only  during  the  migrations,  and  in 
winter.  It  breeds,  however,  in  Northern  New  England, 
and  it  may  do  so  along  other  portions  of  our  northern 
border.  It  is  almost  exclusively  a  migrant  through  the 
United  States,  though  some  probably  winter  in  the 
southern  portions.  Its  migrations  are  pushed,  at  that 
season,  even  to  South  America,  and  it  also  occurs 
in  Mexico,  Central  America,  and  the  West  Indies, 
according  to  numerous  extra-limital  quotations.  The 
eggs  are  moderately  pyriform,  and  measure  about  1.60 
by  1. 1 2  ;  some,  however,  being  so  small  as  1.50  by  1.95. 
The  ground  color  is  grayish-olive,  with  more  or  less 
brownish  shade  in  different  specimens.  The  markings 
are  numerous,  generally  heavy,  and  often  massed, 
though,  as  a  rule,  distinct ;  they  may  appear  all  over  the 
surface,  but  are  always  thickest  and  largest  on  the 
major  half  of  the  egg.  The  color  is  umber-brown, 
of  varying  shade,  according  to  the  depth  or  quantity  of 
pigment.  With  these  surface  markings  are  associated 
some  paler  or  obscure  shell  spots,  not  ordinarily  so 
noticeable,  however,  as  in  some  other  species.  And 
over  all  we  find,  in  occasional  specimens,  curious  sharp, 


GALLINAGO    WILSONI  I    AMERICAN    SNIPE. 

straggling  lines  of  what  appears  to  be  pure  black. 
The  other  markings  have  the  ordinary  splashed  or 
blotched  character.  The  nest-complement  is  three  or 
four.  A  set  of  eggs  in  the  Smithsonian  is  labelled 
Oneida  County,  New  York.  The  nest  is  a  mere  depres- 
sion in  the  grass  or  moss  of  a  boggy  meadow  ;  the 
down  of  the  newly-hatched  young  is  mottled  with  white, 
ashy,  ochrey,  and  dark  brown. 

It  is,  however,  in  the  character  of  spring  and  autumn 
migrant  that  the  Snipe  chiefly  figures  in  New  England. 
Occasionally  those  that  have  bred  in  the  high  north 
appear  in  August ;  but  the  migration  is  not  in  force  until 
the  second  week  in  September,  from  which  period  until 
late  in  October  good  shooting  may  be  had.  The  spring 
movement  is  mainly  in  April. 

I  like  very  well  the  way  in  which  the  collaborator 
of  Minot's  Birds  of  New  England  has  exploded  one  pop- 
ular fallacy  respecting  the  Snipe  :  "  In  all  the  accounts 
of  these  birds  which  are  accessible  to  him,  the  author 
finds  the  ancient,  time-honored  tradition,  that  the  Snipe 
always  begin  their  flights  by  rapid  zigzags,  so  that  it 
behooves  the  shooter  either  to  fire  at  the  instant  when 
the  birds  attain  the  height  of  their  first  spring  or  to 
wait  till  they  have  completed  their  zigzags  and  begin 
their  steady  flight.  The  beginner,  deeply  impressed 
with  these  statements,  his  mind  filled  with  the  idea  that 
the  flight  of  the  Snipe  is  much  like  that  of  a  tortuous 
lightning  flash  through  a  cloud,  sets  out,  and,  adopting 
one  or  the  other  of  these  absurd  rules,  is  sure  to  miss. 
Inasmuch  as  the  Snipe,  five  times  out  of  six,  in  most 
weather,  does  not  spring  at  all,  to  fire  at  the  height  of 
the  first  spring  means  to  the  beginner  to  fire  as  soon  as 
he  can,  that  is,  as  much  as  possible  before  he  gets  his 


198  SCOLOPACIM:  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

aim.  On  the  other  hand,  to  wait  till  the  bird  is  done 
with  zigzagging  necessitates  waiting  till  he  has  begun 
zigzagging,  and,  as  he  generally  does  not  zigzag  at  all, 
this  involves  waiting  some  time.  From  the  expression, 
'zigzag  flight,'  would  not  the  natural  impression  be  that 
the  bird  kept  darting  rapidly,  with  short,  quick  short 
turns  from  side  to  side  ?  That  such  is  the  Snipe's 
usual  flight  is  certainly  not  true,  though  it  is  undoubt- 
edly often  rapid  and  sometimes  eccentric.  The  author's 
experience  is  for  these  days  of  rapid  travel  limited,  but 
after  shooting  Snipe  at  different  seasons  in  the  British 
Provinces,  in  Maine,  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island, 
Maryland,  Delaware,  Virginia,  and  North  Carolina, 
he  ventures  to  assert  that  they  almost  never  'zigzag'  in 
their  flight." 


RED-BREASTED     SNIPE;     GRAY     SNIPE; 
BROWN  BACK;  DOWITCHER. 

MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS  (Gm.)  Leach. 

Chars.  This  Snipe  as  about  as  large  as  Wilson's,  and  the  bill 
is  exactly  as  in  that  species.  It  is  distinguished  by  the  greater 
length  of  the  legs,  the  whole  naked  portion  being  about  3.50 
inches  long,  of  which  the  bare  part  of  the  tibia  is  0.75  of  an 
inch  ;  by  a  web  between  the  outer  and  middle  toes  ;  by  12 
instead  of  16  tail  feathers,  and  many  points  of  coloration.  Tail 
and  its  coverts,  with  lining  of  wings  and  axillars,  beautifully 
barred  with  black  and  white  or  tawny;  shaft  of  first  primary 
white.  In  breeding  plumage,  brownish-black  above,  variegated 
with  bay  ;  reddish-brown  below,  variegated  with  dusky  ;  a  tawny 
superciliary  and  dusky  loral  stripe.  At  other  seasons,  dark 
gray  above,  the  feathers  with  dusky  centres  and  pale  gray  or 
whitish  edges  ;  lower  back  pure  white  ;  superciliary  line  and  spot 
on  under  eyelid  white ;  below,  white,  the  jugulum,  fore-breast, 


MACRORHAMPHUS    GRISEUS  :    GRAY    SNIPE. 


199 


and  sides  heavily  shaded  with  gray,  leaving  chin  whitish  ;  the 
flanks  and  crissum  with  wavy,  dusky  spots  or  bars.  Length* 
10.25  to  10.75  f  extent,  18.00  ;  wing,  5.25-5.90,  average  about  5.60  ; 
tail,  2.50;  tarsus,  1.20-1.55,  average  1.35;  bill,  2.00-2.50,  very 
variable.  (The  alleged  differences  of  the  supposed  variety 
M.  scolopaceus  are  given  beyond.) 

A  common  spring  and  autumn  migrant.  It  is  also 
considered  by  both  Dr.  Brewer  and  Mr.  Boardman  to  be 
a  summer  resident  in  northern 
New  England,  but  we  have  no  defi- 
nite advices  of  its  breeding  in  our 
limits.  It  certainly  nests  very  far 
northward,  even  to  the  Arctic 
Coasts  of  North  America,  though 
many  individuals  re-appear  among  8 
us  in  August.  The  birds  become  $ 
abundant  during  the  following  a 
month,  and  afford  excellent  sport  « 
to  the  gunners.  They  frequent  * 
mud-bars,  flat  and  marshy  mead-  £ 
ows,  in  flocks  often  of  considera-  | 
ble  size,  and  are  in  good  condition  g 
for  the  table. 

Of  several  sets  of   eggs  I  have   o 
examined,  laid  either  by  this   spe-   g 
cies   or   by   var.    scolopaceus,   high   ? 
in   boreal   regions   of   the   United   | 
States,  one  set  contains  four  eggs,   y> 
another  three,  another  only  two ;   •" 
but  we  must  presume  that  four  is 
the  regular  nest-complement.    The 
eggs  are  not  peculiar  among  their 
allies  in  any  respect,  and  probably  no  description  would 


200  SCOLOPACID.E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

suffice  for  their  positive  identification.  The  following 
measurements  indicate  the  size  and  shape :  1.75  by  1.15 
(unusually  long,  narrow,  and  pointed) ;  1.70  by  1.15  ;  1.62 
by  1. 12  (about  an  average) ;  1.68  by  i.io;  1.55  by  i.io 
(very  short).  The  ground-color  is  the  same  as  in  Gallina- 
go,  with  all  its  variation,  while  the  general  character  of  the 
markings  is  identical,  even  to  the  occasional  occurrence 
of  sharp,  black  tracery  over  the  ordinary  spots  and 
blotches.  One  of  the  eggs  has  the  markings  rather 
chocolate  than  umber-brown,  and  much  smaller  and 
more  diffuse  than  they  are  in  any  of  the  examples  of 
Gallinago  which  happen  to  be  before  me.  The  Red- 
breasted  Snipe  is  a  gentle  and  unsuspicious  creature  by 
nature,  most  sociably  disposed  to  its  own  kind,  as  well 
as  toward  its  relatives  among  the  Ducks  and  waders. 
In  the  western  regions,  where  they  are  not  often  mo- 
lested, no  birds  are  more  confiding,  though  none  more 
timid.  They  gather  in  such  close  flocks,  moreover, 
that  the  most  cruel  slaughter  may  be  effected  with  ease 
by  one  intent  only  on  filling  his  bag.  As  we  approach 
a  pool  we  see  numbers  of  the  gentle  birds  wandering 
along  the  margin,  or  wading  up  to  the  belly  in  the 
shallow  parts,  probing  here  and  there  as  they  advance, 
sticking  the  bill  perpendicularly  into  the  mud  to  its  full 
length  with  a  quick,  dexterous  movement,  and  some- 
times even  submerging  the  whole  head  for  a  second 
or  two.  All  the  while  they  chat  with  each  other  in 
a  low,  pleasing  tone,  entirely  oblivious  of  our  dangerous 
proximity.  With  the  explosion  that  too  often  happens, 
the  next  moment  some  stretch  dead  or  dying  along  the 
strand,  others  limp  or  flutter  with  broken  legs  or  wings, 
while  the  survivors,  with  a  startled  weet,  take  wing. 
Not,  however,  to  fly  to  a  place  of  safety ;  in  a  compact 


MACRORHAMPHUS    GRISEUS  I    GRAY    SNIPE.  2OI 

body  they  skim  away,  then  circle  back,  approaching 
again  the  fatal  spot  with  a  low,  wayward,  gliding  motion, 
and  often  re-alight  in  the  midst  of  their  dead  or  disabled 
companions.  No  birds  fly  more  compactly,  or  group 
together  more  closely  in  alighting  ;  it  seems  as  if  the 
timid  creatures,  aware  of  their  defenceless  condition, 
sought  safety,  or  at  least  reassurance,  in  each  other's 
company.  Thus  it  happens  that  a  whole  flock  may  be 
secured  by  successive  discharges,  if  the  gunner  will 
seize  the  time  when  they  stand  motionless,  in  mute 
alarm,  closely  huddled  together.  In  a  little  while, 
however,  if  no  new  appearance  disturbs  them,  they 
cast  off  fear  and  move  about  separately,  resuming  their 
busy  probing  for  the  various  water-bugs,  leeches,  worms, 
and  soft  molluscs,  which  form  their  food,  as  well  as  the 
seeds  of  various  aquatic  plants.  When  in  good  order, 
they  are  excellent  eating. 

Being  partly  web-footed,  this  Snipe  swims  tolerably 
well  for  a  little  distance  in  case  of  emergency,  as  when 
it  may  get  for  a  moment  beyond  its  depth  in  wading 
about,  or  when  it  may  fall,  broken-winged,  on  the  water. 
On  such  an  occasion  as  this  last,  I  have  seen  one  swim 
bravely  for  twenty  or  thirty  yards,  with  a  curious  bob- 
bing motion  of  the  head  and  corresponding  jerking  of 
the  tail,  to  a  hiding-place  in  the  rank  grass  across  the 
pool.  When  thus  hidden  they  keep  perfectly  still,  and 
may  be  picked  up  without  resistance,  except  a  weak 
flutter,  and  perhaps  a  low,  pleading  cry  for  pity  on  their 
pain  and  helplessness.  When  feeding  at  their  ease, 
in  consciousness  of  peace  and  security,  few  birds  are 
of  more  pleasing  appearance.  Their  movements  are 
graceful  and  their  attitudes  often  beautifully  statuesque. 


2O2  SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

GREATER   LONG-BEAK. 

MACRORHAMPHUS  GRISEUS  SCOLOPACEUS  (Say)  Coues. 

Chars.  Very  similar  to  the  last,  and  distinguishable  with  difficulty, 
if  at  all.  Averaging  larger  :  wing,  5.40-6.00,  average,  5.75  ;  bill, 
2.10-3.00,  average,  2.70;  tarsus,  1-35-1.75,  average,  1.60  ;  mid- 
dle toe,  0.95-1.15,  average,  i.oo.  In  summer  plumage,  abdomen 
uniform  reddish,  without  markings  (in  griseus  whitish)  ;  breast 
scantily  speckled  and  sides  barred  with  dusky  (in  griseus,  breast 
and  sides  speckled  with  dusky).  Young  and  winter  specimens 
not  distinguishable  with  any  certainty  from  those  of  griseus,  as  the 
dimensions  of  the  two  intergrade. 

,The  balance  of  opinion  respecting  this  doubtful  bird 
seems  to  have  settled  in  favor  of  at  least  its  varietal  dis- 
tinction from  M.  griseus.  According  to  the  latest  author- 
ity on  the  subject,  Mr.  Ridgway,  specimens  never  occur  in 
western  North  America  which  have  in  summer  the  ab- 
domen either  whitish  or  speckled,  or  the  sides  speckled ; 
these  being  characters  peculiar  to  birds  of  the  Atlantic 
coast  (true  griseus],  where  these  abound  in  the  migra- 
tions in  the  proportion  of  about  a  thousand  to  one  of 
scolopaceus.  The  coloration  as  above  given  is  said  to 
be  more  constant  than  the  dimensions,  though  scolo- 
paceus averages  larger  than  griseus.  Young  birds  and 
those  in  winter  plumage  cannot  be  distinguished,  ex- 
cepting those  specimens  of  scolopaceus  which  surpass  the 
maximum  dimensions  of  griseus.  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v, 
1880,  p.  158.) 

Mr.  Newbold  T.  Lawrence  has  paid  particular  atten- 
tion to  this  subject,  and  we  extract  in  substance  his 
article  in  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  154.  Mr.  Law- 
rence says  that  the  bill  of  scolopaceus  varies  from  2.50 


M.    GRISEUS    SCOLOPACEUS:    GREATER    LONG-BEAK.       2O3 

to  3.25  in  length,  while  that  of  griseus  seldom  if  ever 
reaches  2.50.  "The  M.  scolopaceus  not  only  exceeds 
the  other  in  length  of  bill,  etc.,  but  the  whole  general 
appearance  is  very  noticeably  different,  and  it  can  be 
easily  distinguished  from  M.  griseus  some  distance  off. 
Mr.  George  N.  Lawrence  says :  '  In  all  three  of  my 
specimens  which  are  in  full  summer  plumage,  the  breast 
and  entire  abdomen  is  of  a  uniform  rather  pale  rufous, 
without  spots  or  bars,  but  the  sides  of  the  breast  are 
transversely  barred  with  black.  In  an  example  from 
Texas,  the  breast  is  barred  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
ones  from  Cuba.'  In  all  of  the  seventeen  specimens  of 
M.  scolopaceus  I  have  examined,"  continues  Mr.  N.  T. 
Lawrence,  "  the  character  of  the  plumage  is  strongly 
marked,  with  still  another  feature,  and  that  is  in  having 
the  feathers  of  the  breast  and  abdomen  edged  with 
a  lighter  rufous  or  white,  this  being  particularly  strongly 
marked  in  a  specimen  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  George 
N.  Lawrence,  taken  in  Florida,  during  the  spring 
of  1879.  IR  summer  specimens  of  M.  griseus,  the 
rufous  of  the  breast  blends  into  white  on  the  abdomen, 
and  the  whole  is  more  or  less  spotted.  In  the  notes, 
which  are  so  characteristic  of  all  the  Limicolce,  and 
in  the  time  of  its  arrival  and  departure  during  the 
spring  and  fall  migrations,  it  differs  essentially  from 
M.  griseus.  The  note  of  M.  scolopaceus  is  much  louder 
and  clearer,  and  easily  distinguished  from  the  rather 
plaintive  note  of  M.  griseus,  having  about  the  same 
relation  as  the  notes  of  the  Big  and  Little  Yellow-leg 
bear  to  each  other."  Mr.  Lawrence  gives  further 
the  memoranda  relating  to  six  instances  in  which  he 
observed  the  bird  on  Long  Island  (in  each  case  singly) 
from  Aug.  7  to  Oct.  13. 


2O4  SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

The  difference  alleged  by  Mr.  Lawrence  between  the 
notes  of  the  two  birds  is  confirmed  by  Mr.  G.  L. 
Nicholas,  in  speaking  of  the  capture  of  a  specimen  of 
scolopaceus  on  Shinnecock  Bay  :  "  The  note  was  entirely 
different  from  that  of  the  Dowitcher,  being  made  up  of 
several  quick,  sharp  whistles.  I  am  quite  sure  it  is  not 
a  Dowitcher,  as  it  is  quite  different  in  color,  the  under 
parts  being  like  those  of  Tringa  canutus,  and  only  the 
throat  and  sides  being  spotted.  Mr.  Lane,  with  whom 
I  was  staying,  says  that  for  the  past  three  years  he  has 
seen  these  birds  in  company  with  the  Dowitchers, 
and  they  seem  to  be  increasing  in  numbers.  He  and 
other  gunners  of  the  house  also  say  they  have  never 
heard  this  bird  give  a  note  anything  like  that  of  the 
Dowitcher."  (Bird-notes  from  Long  Island,  in  Forest 
and  Stream,  xiv,  1880,  p.  44.) 

"  In  regard  to  the  spring  arrival  of  this  bird,  Mr. 
George  N.  Lawrence  gives  March  20  as  the  earliest 
date,  he  having  secured  several  specimens  in  Fulton 
Market,  N.  Y.,  at  that  time,  from  Long  Island,  which  is 
about  six  weeks  earlier  than  any  recorded  capture 
of  M.  griseus.  The  gunners  in  the  vicinity  of  Rocka- 
way,  L.  I.,  make  a  distinction  between  the  two  birds, 
calling  M.  scolopaceus  the  White-tail  Dowitcher,  and  say 
it  is  the  first  to  come  in  the  spring,  and  during  the 
southern  migrations  it  remains  until  late  in  the  fall, 
after  the  Dowitchers  have  disappeared."  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  v,  1880,  p.  156.) 

Dr.  Brewer  gives  M.  scolopaceus  full  specific  rank  in 
his  Catalogue  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  445),  mark- 
ing it  as  a  rare  migrant  along  the  Massachusetts  coast, 
not  in  company  with  M.  griseus •,  on  the  authority 
of  Mr.  Brewster;  but  Mr.  Purdie  corrects  this  misun- 


M.    GRISEUS    SCOLOPACEUS  I    GREATER    LONG-BEAK.       2O5 

derstanding,  as  Mr.  Brewster  informed  him  he  found 
it  and  griseus  together  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  73). 
Mr.  Allen  does  not  distinguish  the  supposed  species  in 
any  way  from  M.  griseus  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p 
23).  Dr.  Brewer  afterward  made  the  following  note  : 
"A  female  was  shot  at  Eastham,  by  Mr.  Frank  L. 
Tileston,  November  2,  1878.  Without  presuming  to 
decide  whether  this  is  entitled  to  rank  even  as  a  variety, 
the  fact  remains  that  this  bird  was  a  very  different 
form  from  the  common  M.  griseus,  and  was  shot  at 
a  period  much  later  than  the  latter  bird  has  been  known 
to  appear"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  64).  Tne 
same  record  re-appears  in  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P- 
272. 

The  bird  had  ten  years  previously  been  given  by 
Coues  as  one  which  should  occur  in  New  England  (Pr. 
Essex  Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  293).  This  author  in  1874  (B. 
N.  W.,  p.  477)  declined  to  recognize  the  species,  on  the 
strength  of  the  great  variations  he  found  in  dimensions 
among  individuals  shot  from  a  single  flock  in  Dakota, 
the  differences  being  supposed  to  cover  both  griseus  and 
scolopaceus.  But  if  griseus  proper  be  confined  to  the 
Atlantic  coast,  all  his  specimens  were  of  course  M. 
scolopaceus ;  and  being  in  fall  plumage  did  not  exhibit 
the  color-characters  which  may  distinguish  the  two 
forms.  His  measurements  therefore  simply  show  the 
great  range  of  variation  of  M.  scolofaceus  in  size  and 
proportions. 


206  SCOLOPACIM:  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

STILT  SANDPIPER. 

MlCROPALAMA    HIMANTOPUS    (Bp.)   Bd. 

Chars.  Bill  somewhat  as  in  Macrorhamphus,  but  shorter,  less 
evidently  widened  at  the  end,  and  not  so  distinctly  furrowed. 
Legs  very  long  ;  tibiae  bare  an  inch  ;  tarsus  as  long  as  the  bill ; 
toes  semipalmate.  Length,  8.50-9.00;  extent,  16.00-17.00; 
wing,  5.00 ;  tail,  2.25  ;  bill  or  tarsus,  1.50-1.70;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  i.oo.  Adults  in  summer:  above  blackish,  each  feather 
edged  with  white  and  tawny  or  bay,  becoming  scolloped  on  the 
scapulars  ;  auriculars  chestnut ;  a  dusky  line  from  bill  to  eye,  and 
a  light  reddish  superciliary  line ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  with 
dusky  bars  ;  tail-feathers  12,  ashy-gray,  their  edges  and  central 
fields  .white  ;  under  parts  mixed  reddish,  black  and  whitish, 
in  streaks  on  the  jugulum,  elsewhere  in  bars.  Young  birds  and 
adults  in  winter  have  a  dress  chiefly  ashy  above  and  white 
below,  the  sides  and  jugulum  suffused  with  the  color  of  the  back, 
and  streaked  with  dusky ;  legs  usually  pale  greenish-yellow. 

This  very  interesting  Sandpiper  has  been  the  inno- 
cent cause  of  so  much  contrariety  of  opinion  among  New 
England  writers,  that  it  will  be  well  to  review  the  whole 
case. 

Coues  included  it  in  1868  upon  presumptive  evidence 
of  its  occurrence  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  v,  1868,  p.  294). 
Specimens  had  indeed  been  taken  in  New  England 
at  that  date,  as  at  Plymouth  and  Swampscott,  Mass., 
in  1852,  in  1857  or  l858,  and  in  1860;  but  no  record  had 
been  published. 

In  his  notes  on  the  rarer  birds  of  Massachusetts, 
Allen  cites  cases  of  its  occurrence  in  that  state  and  in 
New  Hampshire  (Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  639). 

A  specimen  from  Needham,  Mass.,  July  24,  1871,  is 
recorded*  by  Mr.  O.  Fuller  (Am.  Nat.,  v,  1871,  p.  727). 


MICROPALAMA    HIMANTOPUS  :    STILT    SANDPIPER.       2O/ 

Mr.  Brewster  soon  instanced  several  specimens  from 
Rye  Beach,  N.  H.,  and  Cape  Cod,  Mass.  (Am.  Nat.,  vi, 
1872,  p.  307.)  Mr.  Maynard,  in  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p. 
140,  notes  Mr.  Brewster's  first  and  second  specimens, 
the  same  as  given  by  Allen,  as  above.  It  was  in  1870 
and  1871  that  Mr.  Brewster  secured  the  additional  speci- 
mens, being  the  ten  referred  to  by  him  in  the  American 
Naturalist,  as  just  quoted  ;  he  considered  the  species  as 
by  no  means  rare. 

In  his  catalogue  of  1875,  Dr.  Brewer  enters  the 
species  with  the  remark:  "Migratory,  (Mass.)"  (Pn 
Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  445).  In  reviewing  this  cata- 
logue, Mr.  Purdie  speaks,  and  correctly,  as  will  appear, 
of  the  bird  as  "  migratory  along  the  whole  New  England 
coast"  (Bull.  Nuttall  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  73).  To  this 
Dr.  Brewer  replies  :  "  So  far  as  my  own  observations 
go,  and  so  far  also  as  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  infor- 
mation from  others,  '  H.  A.  P.'  is  not  warranted  in  his 
sweeping  statement  that  Micropalama  himantopus  is  a 
regular  migrant  along  the  whole  New  England  coast. 
But  if  he  is  better  posted,  and  can  produce  evidence 
to  establish  his  views  on  this  long  controverted  point, 
such  data  are  too  valuable  and  would  be  too  important  to 
be  suppressed  "  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  92).  Thus 
put  to  the  proof,  Mr.  Purdie  produces  the  following  in  the 
next  number  of  the  periodical  cited  :  "  A  word  about  the 
Stilt  Sandpiper  (Micropalama  himantopus},  and  I  am 
done.  In  the  '  American  Naturalist '  (vol.  iii,  p.  639),  is 
recorded  the  first  supposed  instance  of  its  occurrence  in 
New  England.  In  the  same  periodical  (vol.  v,  p.  727)  is 
given  the  first  supposed*  instance  for  Massachusetts. 

*  "  Mr.  F.  C.  Browne,  of  Framingham,  has  a  specimen  taken  at 
Plymouth  in  1852." 


2O8  SCOLOPACIDjE  I    SNIPE,    ETC. 

Again  (in  vol.  vi,  p.  307),  Mr.  Brewster  says :  '  The 
Stilt  Sandpiper  (Micropalama  himantopus)  t  which  I  see 
was  recorded  in  a  recent  number  of  the  Naturalist  as 
new  to  our  Fauna,  I  consider  by  no  means  rare  in 
its  migrations.  Indeed,  I  have  seen  as  many  as  six  or 
seven  sent  into  Boston  market  at  one  time,  from  Cape 
Cod,  and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  weeks'  shooting  in 
August,  at  Rye  Beach;  N.  H.  (just  north  of  our  state 
limits),  I  secured  no  less  than  ten  specimens.'  Not  only 
has  he  since  shot  it,  but  he,  as  well  as  myself  and 
others,  find  it  frequently  in  the  Boston  markets  "  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  17).  But  Dr.  Brewer  is  still 
dissatisfied  ;  for  he  says :  '  Having  exhausted  the  all  too 
insufficient  limits  to  which  I  am  restricted,  I  am  com- 
pelled to  omit  nearly  all  that  I  have  written  in  reference 
to  Micropalama  himantopus.  I  will  only  state  that  in 
characterizing  it  as  ' migratory,  Mass.,'  I  should  have 
added  '  N.  H.,'  in  which  it  has  been  taken,  twelve  miles 
from  our  boundary  lirie.  Though  invited  to  do  so, 
your  correspondent  [Mr.  Purdie]  is  unable  to  give  any 
data  to  show  that  it  is  migratory  along  the  entire  New 
England  coast.  It  has  not  been  found  in  any  part  of 
that  coast  from  St.  Andrews  to  Kittery,  or  from 
Buzzard's  Bay  to  East  River,  and  the  sweeping  state- 
ment of  your  correspondent  still  remains  an  entirely  un- 
supported assumption"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877, 
p.  48). 

Very  soon,  however,  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown  comes  to  the 
front  with  the  following  paragraph  :  "  Mr.  H.  A.  Purdie, 
in  his  review  of  a  recent  *  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of 
New  England,'  stated  (this  Bulletin,  vol.  i,  p.  73)  that 
Micropalama  himantopus  is  migratory  along  the  whole 
New  England  coast.  This  elicited  the  rather  sweeping 


MICROPALAMA    HIMANTOPUS  :    STILT    SANDPIPER.       2OQ 

assertion  from  the  author  of  the  Catalogue,  that  the  bird 
had  '  not  been  found  in  any  part  of  the  coast  from  St. 
Andrews  to  Kittery'  (Bull.,  vol.  ii,  p.  48).  I  desire  to 
contribute  my  evidence  in  support  of  Mr.  Purdie's 
statement.  M.  kimantopus  has  been  repeatedly  taken 
on  the  marshes  and  sand-bars  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland, 
Me.,  during  the  early  part  of  autumn"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 
iii,  1878,  p.  102). 

In  an  article  entitled  "  Apologetic,"  Dr.  Brewer  con- 
tinues :  "  My  statement  that  not  a  specimen  of  the 
Micropalama  was  then  known  to  have  been  taken  along 
the  entire  coast  of  Maine  may  have  been  '  sweeping/ 
It  was  so  intended  to  be.  At  the  time  it  was  made 
it  was  literally  and  exactly  true.  Of  the  occasional  and 
irregular  occurrence  of  this  bird  in  the  vicinity  of 
Portland  I  am  well  aware  (see  Proc.  Boston  Soc.  Nat. 
Hist.,  Oct.  3,  1877).  Its  presence  at  a  single  point 
on  the  western  portion  of  the  coast  of  Maine,*  so  long 
as  all  the  rest  of  the  coast  is  destitute,  does  not  prove 
either  that  it  is  regular  in  its  migrations,  or  that  these 
extend  along  the  whole  New  England  coast"  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  148). 

On  the  very  page  last  cited,  Dr.  Brewer  himself  gives 
an  interesting  note  of  the  bird's  abundance  in  Long 
Island  (and  therefore  between  Buzzard's  Bay  and  East 
River).  It  is  as  follows  :  "  In  a  late  paper  read  before 
the  Linnaean  Society  of  New  York,  Mr.  N.  T.  Law- 
rence speaks  of  this  species  as  being  common  on  the 
south  side  of  Long  Island  (N.  Y.).  He  has  quite  often, 
while  Bay-Snipe  shooting,  had  parties  of  from  three  to  five, 

*  For  occurrence  eastward  of  the  species,  in  New  Brunswick  for 
example,  see  Chamberlain,  Bull.  Nat.  Hist.  Soc.  N.  B.,  1881,  p.  53, 
and  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  105. 


210  SCOLOPACID,E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

and  very  frequently  a  single  bird  or  pair,  come  to  his 
decoys.  And,  of  the  four  specimens  in  his  collection,  two, 
in  adult  breeding  plumage,  were  taken  in  July,  the  others 
in  fall  plumage,  in  September.  This  note  is  interesting 
as  presenting  different  conditions  from  any  recorded  in 
New  England  [?].  But  one  occurrence  of  this  species  is 
known  in  July,  and  that  in  the  last  part  of  the  month 
and  fifteen  miles  from  the  sea.  Mr.  Geo.  N.  Lawrence 
writes  me,  in  reference  to  the  same  species,  that  he 
lived  at  Rockaway  for  five  summers,  and  on  one  oc- 
casion, when  he  was  there,  there  was  a  flight  of  this 
species  and  Gambetta  flavipes,  the  latter  the  most 
abundant,  and  of  the  two  species  there  were  killed  over 
one  hundred  and  twenty  individuals.  He  says  he 
remembers  killing  six  of  the  M.  himantoptis  at  one  shot 
He  never  saw  so  many  together  as  on  that  day,  but 
all  through  the  season  scattering  ones  were  shot  "(Bull. 
Nutt  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  148). 

Mr.  J.  Dwight,  Jr.,  next  contributes  intelligence  of 
several  Stilt  Sandpipers  from  New  Jersey,  July  15  to 
Sept.  15,  remarking:  "This  species  will  now  have  been 
recorded,  in  numbers,  all  along  the  Maine,  New  Hamp- 
shire, Massachusetts,  Long  Island,  and  New  Jersey 
coasts,  at  suitable  places  from  Portland,  Me.,  to  Squam 
Beach,  N.  J ,  showing  not  only  that  it  is  a  regular 
migrant,  but  also  that  there  is  every  probability  of 
its  being  taken  farther  north  and  farther  south.  It 
would  now  seem  that  it  can  hardly  be  regarded  as  a 
rare  straggler  on  that  part  of  the  Atlantic  coast  from 
Maine  to  New  Jersey.  The  question  arises,  Has  the 
Stilt  Sandpiper  been  much  overlooked,  or  has  it  of  late 
years  increased  in  abundance  ? "  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv, 
>  P-  63). 


MICROPALAMA    HIMANTOPUS  I    STILT    SANDPIPER.       211 

The  same  page  yields  also  a  note  from  Dr.  Brewer 
of  the  capture  of  a  bird  of  this  kind,  July  25,  1878,  by 
Mr.  Geo.  H.  Mackay  at  Nantucket  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv, 
1879,  p.  63). 

Firmness  is  an  admirable  quality,  but  may  be  excess- 
ive. We  find  the  same  author  presenting  the  following 
paragraph,  in  connection  with  which  he  carefully 
notes  very  numerous  cases  of  captures  :  "  The  past  year 
has  brought  with  it  no  new  fact  of  any  moment, 
bearing  upon  the  history  of  this  bird,  certainly  nothing 
to  establish  any  regularity  as  a  migrant  on  the  New 
England  coast,  nor  indeed  on  any  part  of  the  Atlantic 
coast.  Throughout  Nova  Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  and 
the  entire  coast  of  Maine  as  far  west  as  Portland,  it  has 
remained  wholly  unknown.  From  Scarboro,  Me.,  to 
Rye,  N.  H.,  we  have  no  record  of  its  having  been  taken, 
and  from  Swampscott,  along  the  entire  coast  of  Massa- 
chusetts to  Provincetown  it  continues  equally  unknown. 
During  the  past  summer  the  only  record  that  has 
reached  me  of  its  occurrence  was  a  single  specimen 
procured  by  Mr.  Geo.  H.  Mackay  at  Nantucket,  July  25, 
1878  [as  above  noted].  This  is  the  second  example  taken 
in  July  in  Massachusetts.  So  far  as  negative  testimony 
can  ever  be  taken  as  conclusive,  the  absence  of  any  data 
in  regard  to  the  presence  of  this  species  in  any  numbers 
on  the  New  England  coast  continues  to  suggest  that  its 
regularity  as  a  migrant  is  still,  and  more  than  ever,  a 
thing  not  proven"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  p.  273). 

But  enough  must  have  been  said  to  convince  most 
persons  of  the  contrary  of  this  last  statement.  If  not, 
the  reader  is  referred  to  Dr.  Brewer's  very  interesting 
and  valuable  paper  entitled  "  Notes  on  the  Occurrence 
of  Micropalama  himantopus  in  New  England"  (Pr. 


212  SCOLOPACIDjE  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

Boston  Soc.  Nat  Hist.,  xix,  1877,  pp.  252-256),  in 
which  the  carefully  adduced  evidence  sustains  the 
contrary  of  the  proposition  sought  to  be  maintained. 
In  any  event,  we  have  laid  before  him  the  evidence 
upon  which  he  can  form  his  own  conclusions,  perhaps 
with  needless  prolixity.  Thus,  for  example,  the  species 
is  omitted  in  Chadbourne's  "  Rarer  Birds  of  Massachu- 
setts," as  too  common  to  require  comment  (Quart. 
Journ.  Bost.  Zool.  Soc.,  i,  1882,  p.  4).  We  may  finish 
with  the  remark  upon  the  bird's  general  habitat  made  by 
Coues  in  the  "  Key  to  North  American  Birds  "  :  "  North 
America,  generally  dispersed  but  apparently  not  very 
common  anywhere  ;  West  Indies,  in  winter  ;  U.  S.  during 
the  migrations  ;  breeds  in  high  latitudes."  The  habits 
are  much  like  those  of  Macrorhamphus. 


SEMIPALMATED  SANDPIPER. 
EREUNETES  PUSILLUS  (L.)  Cass. 

Chars.  Feet  semipalmate,  with  two  evident  webs.  Bill,  tarsus, 
and  middle  toe  with  its  claw  of  approximately  equal  lengths,  an 
inch  or  less  long,  but  bill  apt  to  be  shorter,  even  down  to  0.75  or 
0.67.  Length,  5.50-6.50;  extent,  11.75;  wing»  3-25-3-75  ;  tail, 
2.00,  doubly  emarginate,  the  central  feathers  projecting.  Adult 
in  summer :  upper  parts  variegated  with  black,  bay,  and  ashy  or 
white,  each  feather  with  a  black  field,  reddish  edge,  and  whitish  tip; 
rump  and  most  upper  tail-coverts  blackish.  Tail  ashy,  the  cen- 
tral feathers  darker  ;  primaries  dusky,  the  shaft  of  the  first  white. 
A  dusky  line  from  bill  to  eye.  and  white  superciliary  line. 
Below,  white,  usually  rufescent  on  the  breast,  with  dusky  speck- 
ling on  the  throat,  breast,  and  sides.  In  winter  the  upper  parts 
mostly  plain  ashy-gray.  Young  in  July  and  August  has  scarcely 
any  traces  of  spots  beneath,  being  then  almost  entirely  white, 
with  a  wash  of  buff  across  the  breast. 


EREUNETES    PUSILLUS  :    SEMIPALMATED    SANDPIPER.    213 

An  abundant  spring  and  autumn  migrant,  along  the 
coast,  thronging  the  beaches  at  those  seasons  in  flocks 
numbering  hundreds  and  even  thousands.  The  usual 
periods  of  the  passage  are  April  and  September ;  but  it 
appears  in  August,  and  a  few  individuals  are  to  be  seen 
during  the  summer.  Though  this  does  not  prove  that 
it  breeds  with  us,  there  is  some  additional  evidence  that 
it  occasionally  does  so.  Thus  Mr. 
Merriam  notes  the  egg  of  a  Sand- 
piper, believed  by  Dr.  Brewer  to  be 
this  species,  taken  at  Bradford,  Conn., 
July  20,  1877,  by  Mr.  Walter  R.  Nich- 
ols (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  105). 

In     general     habits,     this     species 
closely    resembles    Tringa    minutilla,  Natural  size, 
and  the  two  are  often  found  flocking  together. 

A  very  large  series  of  the  eggs  of  Ereunetes  shows 
the  variations  probably  always  observable  when  great 
numbers  of  any  limicoline  wader's  eggs  are  examined. 
Some  of  them  are  nearly  like  the  Buff-breasted  Sand- 
piper's eggs  described  beyond,  and  such  appears  to 
be  the  normal  pattern.  Others,  however,  are  quite  dif- 
ferent. One  variation  affects  the  ground-color,  which, 
instead  of  being  clay  colored  (very  pale  grayish  or 
greenish-drab),  is  decidedly  olivaceous ;  and  in  these 
eggs  the  markings  are  correspondingly  heavy,  rather 
umber-brown  than  chocolate.  In  another  decided 
variety  the  markings,  instead  of  being  bold  blotching, 
massed  at  the  large  end,  are  exceedingly  fine  dotting, 
uniform  over  the  whole  egg,  drawn  like  a  veil,  as  it 
were,  over  the  ground,  giving  the  predominant  com- 
plexion to  the  egg.  The  following  are  several  measure- 
ments :  1.22  by  0.84 ;  1.25  by  0.83  ;  1.20  by  0.85.  The 


214  SCOLOPACIM:  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

sets,  complete,  contain  three  or  four  eggs ;  those  with 
one  or  two  are  presumably  incomplete.  All  that  I  have 
seen  were  collected  in  Arctic  America.  According  to 
the  labels,  the  nests  are,  as  usual  for  those  of  small 
waders,  depressions  in  the  ground,  generally  in  or  near 
marshy  tracts,  and  lined  with  a  few  dried  leaves  or 
grasses. 


LEAST  SANDPIPER. 

ACTODROMAS     MINUTILLA  (  V.)   CoueS. 

Chars.  Smallest  of  the  Sandpipers  ;  length,  5.50-6.00  ;  extent  about 
11.00  ;  wing,  3.25-3.50  ;  tail,  2.00  or  less ;  bill,  tarsus,  and  middle 
toe  with  claw,  about  0.75.  No  webbing  between  toes.  Bill 
black;  legs  dusky-greenish.  In  summer,  upper  parts  with  each 
feather  blackish  centrally,  edged  with  bay,  and  tipped  with  ashy 
or  white  ;  in  winter,  and  in  the  young,  simply  ashy.  Quills 
of  wing  blackish,  the  shaft  of  the  first  primary  white,  the  second- 
aries and  greater  coverts  tipped  with  white.  Crown  not  conspic- 
uously different  from  the  hind  neck  ;  an  indistinct  whitish  line  over 
eye  and  dusky  line  from  bill  to  eye.  Below,  white,  the  jugulum 
and  sides  of  body  with  an  ashy  or  brownish  suffusion,  thickly 
spotted  and  streaked  with  dusky. 

This  species  and  the  last  are  often  confounded  under 
the  name  of  "peeps,"  but  a  glance  at  the  toes  suffices 
to  distinguish  them.  It  is  an  abundant  migrant  during 
the  latter  part  of  April  and  in  May,  and  again  in 
August  and  September.  It  is  not  known  to  breed  with 
us,  though  individuals  may  be  seen  at  times  during  the 
summer.  Dr.  Coues  draws  the  following  picture  of  the 
summer  home  of  the  birds  in  Labrador. 

"  Fogs  hang  low  and  heavy  over  rock-girdled  Labra- 
dor. Angry  waves,  palled  with  rage,  exhaust  them- 


ACTODROMAS    MINUTILLA  I    LEAST    SANDPIPER.       215 

selves  to  encroach  upon  the  stern  shores,  and  baffled, 
sink  back  howling  into  the  depths.  Winds  shriek  as 
they  course  from  crag  to  crag  in  mad  career,  till  the 
humble  mosses  that  clothe  the  rocks  crouch  lower  still 
in  fear.  Overhead  the  Sea  Gulls  scream  as  they 
winnow,  and  the  Murres,  all  silent,  ply  eager  oars  to 
escape  the  blast.  What  is  here  to  entice  the  steps 
of  the  delicate  birds  ?  Yet  they  have  come,  urged 
by  resistless  impulse,  and  have  made  a  nest  on  the 
ground  in  some  half-sheltered  nook.  The  material  was 
ready  at  hand,  in  the  mossy  covering  of  the  earth,  and 
little  care  or  thought  was  needed  to  fashion  a  little 
bunch  into  a  little  home.  Four  eggs  are  laid  (they  are 
buffy-yellow,  thickly  spotted  over  with  brown  and  drab), 
with  the  points  together,  that  they  may  take  up  less 
room  and  be  more  warmly  covered ;  there  is  need  of 
this,  such  large  eggs  belonging  to  so  small  a  bird.  As 
we  draw  near,  the  mother  sees  us,  and  nestles  closer 
still  over  her  treasures,  quite  hiding  them  in  the  cover- 
ing of  her  breast,  and  watches  us  with  timid  eyes, 
all  anxiety  for  the  safety  of  what  is  dearer  to  her 
than  her  own  life.  Her  mate  stands  motionless,  but  not 
unmoved,  hard  by,  not  venturing  even  to  chirp  the  note 
of  encouragement  and  sympathy  she  loves  to  hear. 
Alas  !  hope  fades  and  dies  out,  leaving  only  fear ;  there 
is  no  further  concealment — we  are  almost  upon  the 
nest  —  almost  trodden  upon  she  springs  up  with  a 
piteous  cry  and  flies  a  little  distance,  re-alighting, 
almost  beside  herself  with  grief ;  for  she  knows  only  too 
well  what  is  to  be  feared  at  such  a  time.  If  there  were 
hope  for  her  that  her  nest  were  undiscovered,  she 
might  dissimulate,  and  try  to  entice  us  away  by  those 
touching  deceits  that  maternal  love  inspires.  But 


2l6  SCOLOPACHXE  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

we  are  actually  bending  over  her  treasures,  and  decep- 
tion would  be  in  vain ;  her  grief  is  too  great  to  be 
witnessed  unmoved,  still  less  portrayed ;  nor  can  we, 
deaf  to  her  beseeching,  change  it  into  despair.  We  have 
seen  and  admired  the  home  —  there  is  no  excuse  for 
making  it  desolate ;  we  have  not  so  much  as  touched 
one  of  the  precious  eggs,  and  will  leave  them  to  her  re- 
newed and  patient  care. 

"  This  is  one  verse  in  the  little  Sand-bird's  life,  with 
the  wolf  at  the  door  of  what  would  seem  the  perfect 
security  of  an  humble  home.  Now  later  in  the  season, 
when  the  young  birds  are  grown  strong  of  wing,  family 
joins  family,  and  the  gathering  goes  to  the  sea-beach. 
Stretches  of  sand,  or  pebbly  shingle,  or  weed-loaded 
rocks,  or  muddy  flats  bestrewn  with  wrack,  invite,  and 
are  visited  in  turn  ;  and  each  yields  abundant  sustenance. 
The  unsuspecting  birds  ramble  and  play  heedlessly 
in  the  very  front  of  man,  unmindful  of,  because  un- 
knowing, danger ;  they  have  a  sad  lesson  to  learn 
the  coming  winter,  when  they  are  tormented  without 
stint,  and  a  part  of  their  number  slaughtered  in  more 
civilized  countries  for  mere  sport,  or  for  the  morsel 
of  food  their  bodies  may  afford.  Blasts  fiercer  than  they 
ever  knew  before  come  out  of  the  north  ;  autumn  is 
upon  them,  and  they  must  not  wait.  Flocks  rise  on 
wing,  and  it  is  not  long  before  the  beaches  and  the 
marshes  of  the  States  are  thronged."  (Birds  Northwest, 
1874,  p.  483.) 


ACTODROMAS    BAIRDI  :    BAIRD  S    SANDPIPER.          2 1/ 

BAIRD'S  SANDPIPER. 
ACTODROMAS  BAIRDI   Cones. 

Chars.  Adult  male.  Bill  wholly  black,  small  and  slender,  slightly 
shorter  than  the  head,  just  as  long  as  the  tarsus  or  as  the  middle 
toe  and  claw,  slightly  expanded  or  lancet-shaped  at  the  end.  the 
point  acute ;  grooves  long,  narrow,  deep  ;  feathers  on  side  of 
lower  mandible  evidently  reaching  further  than  those  on  upper. 
Upper  parts  brownish-black  (deepest  on  the  rump  and  middle 
upper  tail-coverts,  and  lightest  on  the  neck  behind)  each  feather 
bordered  and  tipped  with  pale  brownish-yellow,  the  tipping  of 
the  scapulars  broadest  and  nearly  white,  their  margining  broad 
and  brightest  in  tint,  making  several  deep  scollops  toward  the 
shafts  of  the  feathers.  Only  the  outer  series  of  upper  tail- 
coverts  on  each  side  varied  with  whitish.  Middle  tail-feathers 
brownish-black,  the  others  plain  gray,  with  paler  margins. 
Jugulum  tinged  with  light  dull  yellowish-brown,  spotted  and 
streaked  with  illy-defined  blackish  markings,  as  are  also  the 
sides  under  the  wings.  Throat  and  the  other  under  parts  white, 
unmarked.  Feet  black,  like  the  bill.  Length,  7.25  ;  extent,  15.25  ; 
wing,  4.90  ;  bill,  0.85  ;  tarsus,  and  middle  toe  and  claw,  the  same. 
The  female  is  entirely  similar,  but  slightly  larger.  The  young  have 
the  upper  parts  wholly  light  brownish-ash,  darker  on  the  rump, 
and  all  the  feathers  with  a  dark  field,  and  pale  or  whitish  edging  ; 
waves  of  brownish-black  on  the  scapulars.  Jugulum  and  breast 
suffused  with  dull  light  reddish-brown  ;  the  spotting  small,  sparse, 
and  very  indistinct.  Actodromas  bonapartii  is  a  little  larger 
on  the  average  ;  the  bill  noticeably  stouter,  flesh-colored  at  base 
below  ;  the  feathers  on  the  sides  of  the  lower  mandible  do  not 
extend  noticeably  beyond  those  on  the  upper ;  the  scapular 
edging  is  bright  chestnut  ;  the  jugulum  is  white,  or  barely 
perceptibly  ashy,  with  numerous  narrow,  distinct  streaks  ;  and 
the  upper  tail-coverts  are  white.  A.  bairdi  is  exactly  interme- 
diate in  size  between  A.  maculata  and  A.  minutilla,  and  is 
almost  identical  with  the  latter  in  pattern  of  coloration,  but  the 
markings  on  the  breast  are  not  thick  and  heavy,  and  the  edgings 
of  the  scapulars  not  bright  chestnut.  The  species  scarcely 


21 8  SCOLOPACID^S  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

requires  comparison  with  maculata  ;  the  latter  is  much  larger  ; 
it  differs  in  the  colors  and  proportions  of  the  bill ;  the  pattern 
(plain,  unscolloped)  of  coloration  of  the  scapular  edgings ;  the 
abrupt  transition  from  the  color  of  the  crown  to  that  of  the  hind 
neck;  the  heavy  pectoral  markings,  etc. 

This  species  was  originally  described  from  the  west. 
It  was  not  until  1870  that  it  was  known  to  occur  on  the 
Atlantic  coast  Mr.  H.  W.  Henshaw  took  a  specimen 
on  Long  Island  in  Boston  Harbor,  Aug.  27,  1870, 
as  recorded  by  Mr.  Brewster  in  Am.  Nat.,  vi,  1872,  p. 
306.  Mr.  Brewster  also  notes  a  specimen  which  he 
secured  at  Upton,  Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  Sept.  i,  1875  (Bul1- 
Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  19).  August  17,  1876,  another 
was  taken,  by  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Jeffries,  at  Swampscott, 
Mass.  (Brewer,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  140).  Mr. 
N.  C.  Brown  records  the  only  known  case  for  the  Maine 
coast,  a  young  male,  in  company  with  another,  shof  by 
his  brother  on  Scarborough  Beach,  Sept.  9,  1875  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  28).*  Dr.  Brewer  instances  the 
capture  of  a  specimen  by  Mr.  Wm.  A.  Jeffries,  at 
at  Swampscott,  Mass.,  Aug.  27,  1876  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 
iii,  1878,  p.  140). 

To  these  four  cases  (two  for  Maine,  two  for  Massachu- 
setts), Mr.  Brewster  has  latterly  added  his  experiences 
with  several  Baird's  Sandpipers  at  the  mouth  of  Cam- 
bridge River,  Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  where  he  secured 
several  specimens,  which  were  in  company  with  Semipal- 
mated  Sandpipers  and  Ring-neck  Plovers.  "Their 
motions  were  slow  and  sedate,  and  their  attitudes 
crouching.  They  kept  up  a  low  conversational  twitter 

*  This  specimen  is  erroneously  recorded  as  "  Ancylocheilus 
subarquatus  "  by  Dr.  Brewer  in  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xix,  1878, 
P-  307. 


ACTODROMAS    BAIRDI  I    BAIRD  S    SANDPIPER.          2IQ 

while  feeding,  and  when  flushed,  flew  in  that  swift, 
erratic  way  characteristic  of  most  of  the  smaller  Waders. 
The  peculiar  coloring  of  the  upper  parts  gave  them  a 
striped  appearance,  which  should  serve  to  distinguish 
them  from  any  other  eastern  Sandpiper  excepting 
Tryngites  rufescens"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881,  p.  60). 

The  first  New  Hampshire  record  is  given  by  Mr.  H. 
M.  Spelman,  who  obtained  two  specimens  at  Rye 
Beach,  N.  H.,  Aug.  26,  1880  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881, 
p.  61). 

Our  esteemed  correspondent,  Mr.  Purdie,  advises  us 
of  further  notes  on  this  species,  which  we  have  had  no 
opportunity  of  looking  up.  These  are  :  Quart.  Journ. 
Bost.  Zool.  Soc.,  i,  1882,  p.  31  ;  Maynard's  Birds  E.  N. 
A.,  p.  381  ;  and  the  Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vii, 
1882,  p.  133  —  the  latter  reference  being  to  Central 
New  York. 

This  Sandpiper  is  only  known  to  breed  in  high  lati- 
tudes. Eggs  are  described  by  Coues  as  having  the 
ground  clay  color,  tending  in  some  cases  to  gray,  in 
others  to  buff;  the  spotting  rich  umber  and  chocolate- 
brown  of  varying  shade  or  depth,  with  the  usual  paler 
shell-markings.  In  most  instances  the  markings  are  fine 
and  innumerable,  of  indefinite  size  and  shape,  though 
thickest  and  largest  at  the  greater  end,  where  occasionally 
massed  in  large  blotches.  Specimens  measure:  I-3OX 
0.90;  1.35X0.94;  1.28X0.90. 


22O  SCOLOPACIM;  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

PECTORAL  SANDPIPER;  GRASS  SNIPE; 
JACK  SNIPE. 

ACTODROMAS     MACULATA    ( V.)    CoiieS. 

Chars.  Form  exactly  as  in  A.  minutilla\  coloration  much  the 
same  ;  size  much  larger  ;  length,  9.00-9  50  ;  extent,  16.50-18.00  ; 
wing  averaging  5.50  ;  bill,  tarsus,  and  middle  toe  with  claw,  each, 
1. 10.  Bill  and  feet  dusky  greenish.  Crown  streaked  with 
brownish-black  and  light  chestnut,  different  from  the  neck 
behind,  which  is  streaked  with  dusky  and  light  ochrey.  Upper 
parts  brownish-black,  each  feather  edged  with  dusky  or  chestnut, 
the  latter  brightest  on  the  scapulars,  not  making  indentations 
toward  the  shaft.  Rump  and  most  upper  tail-coverts  blackish, 
the  internal  ones  white  with  dark  spots.  Primaries  blackish,  the 
shaft  of  the  first  white,  of  the  others  brown.  Under  parts 
white,  the  jugulum  and  fore  breast  with  a  heavy  wash  of  ashy- 
brown,  and  numerous  dusky  streaks. 

The  Pectoral  Sandpiper  is  a  common  migrant  through 
New  England,  especially  in  the  autumn.  It  arrives 
from  the  north  in  August,  sometimes  early  in  that 
month  and  soon  makes  its  way  south,  to  return  in  April 
or  May.  In  habits  it  is  rather  Snipe-like  than  like 
a  Sandpiper,  as  it  does  not  flock  on  the  sandy  beaches, 
but  rather  frequents  wet,  grassy  meadows,  muddy  pools 
and  flats,  and  the  salt-marshes.  It  is,  however,  oftener 
seen  along  the  coast  than  inland.  It  is  very  abundant 
in  summer  in  Labrador,  where  it  frequents  low,  muddy 
flats,  laid  bare  by  the  tide,  and  the  salt-marshes  adjoin- 
ing. When  they  arise  from  the  grass  -to  alight  again  at 
a  little  distance,  they  fly  in  silence  or  with  a  single  tweet, 
holding  the  wings  deeply  incurved ;  but  when  suddenly 
startled  and  much  alarmed,  they  spring  quickly,  with  loud, 
repeated  cries,  and  make  off  in  an  irregular  manner,  much 


ACTODROMAS  BONAPARTII  I  BONAPARTE  S  SANDPIPER.  221 

like  the  common  Snipe.  Sometimes,  gaming  a  consider- 
able elevation,  they  circle  for  several  minutes  in  silence 
overhead,  flying  with  great  velocity,  perhaps  to  pitch 
down  again  nearly  perpendicularly  upon  the  same  spot 
they  sprang  from.  The  southward  migration  begins  in 
August,  and  is  usually  completed  by  the  following 
month. 


BONAPARTE'S  SANDPIPER;   WHITE- 
RUMPED  SANDPIPER. 

ACTODROMAS  BONAPARTII  (Schl.)  Cones. 

Chars.  In  form  like  the  other  species  of  Actodromas.  Size  inter- 
mediate between  A.  maculata  and  A.  minutilla,  about  the 
same  as  in  A.bairdi;  length,  7.50;  extent,  15.00;  wing,  4.75; 
bill,  tarsus,  and  middle  toe  with  claw  rather  less  than  i.oo.  Up- 
per tail-coverts  white ;  a  strong  character,  peculiar  to  this  species 
in  the  genus.  Upper  parts  generally,  including  the  crown,  light 
brownish-ash,  each  feather  with  a  large  field  of  dusky  toward  the 
end,  and  on  the  crown  and  middle  of  the  back  edged  with  light 
yellowish-red,  deepening  into  sienna-red  on  the  scapulars.  Pri- 
maries dusky,  their  shafts  white  centrally.  Rump  brownish-black. 
Central  tail-feathers  the  same,  the  lateral  ones  grayish-ash, 
edged  and  tipped  with  white.  Under  parts  white,  the  jugulum 
and  breast  with  a  faint  ashy  wash,  and  numerous  linear  oblong 
spots  of  dusky.  Young  in  August  chiefly  ashy  on  the  upper 
parts,  the  markings  of  the  jugulum  less  distinct. 

This  is  another  of  New  England's  abundant  Sand- 
pipers, flocking  along  the  beaches  during  the  migrations, 
which  occur  at  the  same  seasons  as  those  of  the  other 
species.  It  breeds  abundantly  in  Labrador  and  other 
northern  regions. 


222  SCOLOPACID^:  I    SNIPE,    ETC. 

PURPLE  SANDPIPER. 

ARQUATELLA  MARITIMA  (Briinn)  Bd. 

Chars.  In  form,  differing  from  other  Sandpipers  in  the  shortness 
of  the  legs  ;  tarsus  shorter  than  middle  toe  and  claw,  or  than 
bill ;  tibiae  feathered  to  the  suffrage ;  bill  not  quite  straight. 
Length  about  9  oo ;  extent  about  16.00 ;  wing,  5.00;  tail,  2.60, 
much  rounded;  bill,  1.20  ;  tarsus,  6.80-0.90  ;  middle  toe,  i.oo,  or 
a  little  more.  In  breeding-dress :  Crown  streaked  with  yel- 
lowish-gray or  grayish-white;  scapulars  and  interscapulars 
indented  with  dull  buff  or  whitish,  and  tipped  with  white ;  fore- 
neck  distinctly  streaked  with  dusky;  breast  dull  gray,  spotted 
with  darker.  In  winter :  Back  and  scapulars  sooty-blackish 
glossed  with  purplish,  the  feathers  bordered  terminally  with  dark 
plumbeous-gray ;  foreneck  uniform  mouse-gray,  or  brownish- 
plumbeous.  Rest  of  under  parts  white. 

The  Purple  Sandpiper  is  a  species  of  circumpolar  dis- 
tribution, breeding  only  in  the  high  north,  as  far  as 
polar  explorers  have  gone,  and  migrating  to  temperate 
lattiudes  for  the  most  part,  though  all  individuals  of 
the  species  do  not  forsake  the  forbidding  regions  of 
their  birth  even  during  the  most  inclement  season.  In 
New  England  it  is  chiefly  and  properly  a  winter  resident, 
making  its  appearance  after  other  migratory  Sandpipers, 
late  in  the  fall,  and  remaining  until  the  spring  is  fairly 
advanced.  It  is  not  nearly  so  abundant  as  some  of  the 
species,  and  is  chiefly  to  be  found  singly  or  by  twos 
and  threes,  or  in  small  flocks,  on  rocky  shores.  Hence 
it  is  often  called  "rock"  snipe  or  "rock  plover."  It 
also  merits  its  scientific  name,  maritimat  as  it  is  seldom 
if  ever  found  inland.  The  eggs,  four  in  number,  measur- 
ing about  1.40  X  i.oo,  are  of  the  usual  pyriform  shape,  of 
clay-colored  ground  with  an  olive  shade,  boldly  marked 


PELIDNA    AMERICANA  :    RED-BACKED    SANDPIPER.       22$ 

with  a  rich  umber-brown  of  varying  tint,  and  neutral 
shell-markings,  which  appear  over  the  whole  surface, 
but  are  largest  and  most  massed  at  the  greater  end. 


RED-BACKED  SANDPIPER. 
PELIDNA  ALPINA   AMERICANA  (Cass.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Bill  longer  than  head  or  tarsus,  compressed  at  base,  rather 
depressed  at  the  end,  usually  appreciably  decurved.  Length, 
8.00-9.00;  extent,  15.00;  wing,  4.50-5.00;  tail,  2.00-2.30;  bill, 
1.50-1.75  ;  tibiae  bare  about  0.50  ;  tarsus,  1.05  ;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  0.95.  Adult  in  summer :  Above,  chestnut-red,  each  feather 
with  a  central  black  field,  and  most  of  them  tipped  with  whitish  ; 
rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  blackish  ;  tail-feathers  and  wing- 
coverts  ashy-gray,  the  greater  coverts  tipped  with  white.  Under 
parts  white  ;  the  belly  with  a  broad,  jet-black  area,  the  breast  and 
jugulum  streaked  with  dusky.  Bill  and  feet  black.  Adult  in 
winter,  and  young :  Above,  plain  ashy-gray,  with  dark  shaft- 
lines,  with  or  without  red  or  black  traces.  Below,  white,  with 
little  or  no  trace  of  black  on  the  belly  ;  jugulum  with  a  few  dusky 
streaks  and  an  ashy  suffusion. 

Chiefly  a   spring  and   autumn   migrant,  though   oc- 
casionally observed  at  other  seasons.     It  is  a  common 


FIG.  49.  —  BILL  AND  FOOT  OP  RBD-BACKED  SANDPIPER.    Natural  size. 

bird  coastwise,  in  flocks  on  the  beaches  with  others  of 
its  tribe,  but  rarely  found  inland.     Mr.  C.  J.  Maynard 


224  SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

speaks  of  taking  it  late  in  November,  and  a  few  individ- 
uals doubtless  winter  with  us.  The  same  observer  took 
it  June  1 8,  1868,  about  a  fresh-water  pond  near  Ips- 
wich ;  but  this  date  is  exceptional.  At  Calais,  Me., 
Mr.  Boardman  records  its  presence  in  August  and  Sep- 
tember. In  Mr.  Allen's  Catalogue  of  1878  it  is  marked 
for  Massachusetts  as  -an  abundant  migrant,  with  the 
observation  that  a  few  sometimes  remain  in  summer 
(Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  24).  There  is  no  evidence 
that  it  breeds  in  New  England. 


CURLEW  SANDPIPER. 
ANCYLOCHILUS  SUBARQUATUS  (Giild.)  Kaup. 

Chars.  Bill  much  longer  than  head,  very  slender,  decurved  ;  legs 
long ;  tibiae  bare  for  about  half  the  length  of  the  tarsus.  Adult : 
crown  of  head  and  entire  upper  parts  greenish-black,  each 
feather  tipped  and  indented  with  yellowish-red ;  wing-coverts 
ashy-brown,  each  feather  with  dusky  shaft-line  and  reddish 
edging.  Upper  tail-coverts  white,  with  broad,  dusky  bars,  tinged 
at  their  extremities  with  reddish.  Tail  pale  gray,  with  greenish 
reflections.  Sides  of  neck  and  entire  under  parts  uniform  deep 
brownish-red  ;  under  tail-coverts  barred  with  dusky  ;  axillars  and 
under  wing-coverts  white  ;  bill  and  feet  greenish-black.  Young : 
Crown  of  head  and  upper  parts  brownish-black,  with  slight 
greenish  lustre,  each  feather  edged  with  white  or  reddish-yel- 
low;  rump  plain  dusky ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  wing-coverts 
with  broad,  grayish-white  borders.  Under  parts  white,  the 
breast  and  sides  of  the  neck  with  fine  dusky  streaks  ;  the  former 
with  a  light  buff  tinge.  Length,  8.50;  wing,  4.90  ;  bill  averaging 
1.50  ;  tarsus,  1.30  ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  0.90 ;  tibia  bare  0.70. 

This  is  an  Old  World  Sandpiper,  so  rare  everywhere  in 
North  America  as  to  be  properly  considered  little  more 


ANCYLOCHILUS  SUBARQUATUS  :  CURLEW  SANDPIPER.  225 

than  a  straggler  in  this  country.  Audubon  regarded  its 
occurrence  as  accidental.  Nevertheless,  it  has  been 
several  times  observed  in  New  England,  and  we  have 
taken  the  pains  to  look  up  the  record  of  these  occur- 
rences, concerning  which  a  singular  confusion  appears  to 
have  possessed  the  minds  of  several  writers. 

The  name  occurs  in  the  Rev.  Mr.  Linsley's  Connecti- 
cut list  of  1843,  but  without  sufficient  data.  This 
record  is  discredited  by  Dr.  Merriam,  and  may  be  passed 
over,  though  very  likely  quite  correct,  as  too  indefinite 
for  citation. 

In  1862,  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman  includes  the  Curlew 
Sandpiper  in  his  list  of  Calais  (Maine)  birds,  with  only 
the  remark,  "not  very  plenty."  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix, 
1862,  p.  128.) 

In  1867,  Mr.  E.  A.  Samuels  refers  to  the  capture  of 
the  Curlew  Sandpiper  on  Cape  Ann,  Mass.,  in  1865 
(Orn.  and  Ool.  of  New  England,  1 867,  p.  444).  "  This 
is  undoubtedly  the  most  rare  of  all  our  shore  birds.  I 
found  a  single  specimen  in  a  bunch  of  Sandpipers  shot 
on  Cape  Ann,  in  the  autumn  of  1865,  for  sale  in  the 
principal  market.  This  is  the  only  instance  that  has 
come  to  my  knowledge  of  its  being  found  here.  Audu- 
bon speaks  of  two  ;  and  other  writers  of  a  few  more  in 
different  years."  This  is  the  earliest  definite  record 'we 
have,  although,  as  we  shall  see  presently,  the  bird  had 
really  been  taken  in  New  England  long  before. 

Coues,  in  1868,  includes  the  species  on  the  strength 
of  Samuels'  example,  calling  it  "  very  rare,"  and  stating 
that  it  is  seen  chiefly  during  the  migrations.  He  also 
adds,  that  "  the  species  is  in  America  hardly  more, 
perhaps,  than  a  visitor  from  Europe."  (Pr.  Essex  Inst, 
v,  1868,  p.  293.) 


226  SCOLOPACiD^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

In  1870,  Mr.  C.  J.  Maynard  speaks  of  "a  few  speci- 
mens taken  on  our  Massachusetts  coast,"  but  gives  no 
particulars.  (Naturalists'  Guide,  1870,  p.  140.) 

In  1875,  Dr.  T.  M.  Brewer  makes  the  following 
remark :  "This  is  an  European  species,  of  rare  and  acci- 
dental occurrence  in  America.  Up  to  the  present  time 
no  authenticated  instance  was  on  record  of  a  single 
specimen  having  been  taken  in  any  part  of  New  Eng- 
land. It  had  been  given  on  the  strength  of  three 
individuals  taken  at  St.  Andrews,  N.  B.,  on  the  St. 
Croix,  and  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Maine  line.  A 
single  individual  has  recently  been  taken  at  Ipswich, 
Mass.,  and  the  same  is  now  in  the  collection  of  Ray- 
mond Newcomb,  of  Salem  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875, 
p.  446).'*  This  ignores  Mr.  Samuels'  record,  and  dis- 
credits Mr.  Maynard's  remarks.*  The  New  Brunswick 
examples  mentioned  are  those  adduced  by  Mr.  G.  A. 
Boardman  as  of  Maine  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  128). 

In  1876,  Mr.  Wm.  Brewster,  in  a  note  entitled  "Oc- 
currence of  the  Curlew  Sandpiper  in  Massachusetts," 
gives  the  following  account :  "  Mr.  Charles  I.  Goodale, 
an  accomplished  Boston  taxidermist,  has  a  fine  Curlew 
Sandpiper  (Tringa  subarquatct)  which  was  sent  to  him  to 
be  mounted.  It  was  shot  in  East  Boston,  Mass.,  early 
in  May,  1876,  as  it  was  feeding  on  a  sand-spit  among 
a  flock  of  *  peeps.'  This  bird,  in  very  perfect  spring 
plumage,  furnishes  the  second  authentic  instance  of  the 
occurrence  of  this  species  in  New  England."  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  51.)  In  calling  it  the  "second 

*  Another  example  of  confusion  on  the  part  of  this  writer  is 
found  in  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  307,  where  Dr.  Brewer  records 
the  Scarboro'  specimen  of  Actodromas  bairdi  (mentioned  above, 
p.  218)  as  one  viAncylochiLussubarquatus. 


ANCYLOCHILUS  SUBARQUATUS  I  CURLEW  SANDPIPER.  22/ 

instance,  however,"  Mr.  Brewster  appears  to  have  been 
misled  by  Dr.  Brewer's  note  above  quoted.  It  was 
really  the  third. 

In  1877,  Mr.  C.  H.  Merriam  comes  forward  with 
a  specially  interesting  and  valuable  notice  of  the  Curlew 
Sandpiper  in  Connecticut.  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  p.  106.)  We 
transcribe  it  in  full :  "  A  rare  visitor  along  our  coast.  Mr. 
Josiah  G.  Ely  writes  me  that  one  was  shot  near  Say- 
brook,  many  years  ago,  and  I  am  informed  by  Dr.  D. 
Crary,  of  Hartford,  that  a  specimen  of  this  species  was 
killed,  Oct.  3,  1859,  at  Keeny's  Cove,  on  the  Connecti- 
cut River,  in  East  Hartford  (Hockanum),  Conn.  Also, 
Dr.  E.  L.  R.  Thompson,  of  this  city,  tells  me  that  he 
shot  three  Curlew  Sandpipers  on  the  Quinnipiac  River 
(near  New  Haven)  in  June,  1874.  Dr.  Wm.  O.  Ayres, 
now  of  Easthampton,  Long  Island,  writes  me  that  he 
1  killed  it  once  at  Miller's  Place,  L.  L,  in  1839,'  and  it 
has  also  been  taken  in  Massachusetts."  Aside  from  the 
Long  Island  instance,  this  gives  us  three  occurrences, 
of  five  specimens,  for  Connecticut  alone. 

In  1879,  Mr.  R.  Deane  gives  "  Additional  Captures  of 
the  Curlew  Sandpiper  in  New  England "  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  124):  "The  three  *  specimens  of  this 
rare  straggler,  which  have  been  previously  recorded  as 
occurring  in  New  England,  have  all  been  collected  in 
Massachusetts,  and  I  am  enabled  to  add  two  more 
instances,  both  of  which  have  been  taken  in  this  State. 
Mr.  John  Fottler,  Jr.,  writes  me  that  he  has  in  his  pos- 

*  The  "  three  "  here  meant  are  those  above  noted,  viz.  :  Samuels' 
Cape  Ann  one,  Brewer's  Ipswich  one,  and  Brewster's  East  Boston 
one.  This  makes  Deane's  two  additional  examples  the  fourth  and 
fifth  ;  but  as  he  overlooks  Merriam's  record,  his  specimens  are 
really  the  ninth  and  tenth. 


228  SCOLOPACIDjE  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

session  a  fine  spring  specimen,  which  was  shot  on  Cape 
Cod  about  the  loth  of  May,  1878.  Another  specimen  is 
in  the  collection  made  by  Mr.  Baldwin  Coolidge  (now  in 
possession  of  the  city  of  Lawrence,  Mass.),  which  was 
taken  on  Nahant  Beach  some  ten  years  ago,  and  at  that 
time  was  preserved  by  Mr.  N.  Vickery,  of  Lynn." 

Thus,  overlooking  all  accounts  not  accompanied  by 
the  particulars,  there  would  appear  to  be  at  least  ten 
well  authenticated  instances  of  the  occurrence  of  the 
Curlew  Sandpiper  in  New  England,  aside  from  those  in 
New  Brunswick  and  Long  Island,  and  about  a  dozen 
individuals  appear  to  have  been  actually  taken  within 
our  limits. 


RED-BREASTED  SANDPIPER;  ASH-COLORED 
SANDPIPER;  ROBIN  SNIPE;    KNOT. 

TRINGA  CANUTUS  Linn. 

Chars.  Largest  of  the  Sandpipers  ;  length,  10.50;  extent,  20.50; 
wing,  6.40;  tail,  2.75;  bill,  1.40;  tarsus,  1.20;  middle  toe  and 
claw  i. oo.  Adult  in  summer:  Above  brownish-black,  each 
feather  tipped  and  edged  with  ashy-white,  tinged  with  reddish- 
yellow  on  the  scapulars ;  rump  dark  ash,  barred  with  dusky  ; 
upper  tail-coverts  white,  with  sagittate  or  crescentic  dark  bars. 
Tail  grayish-ash,  edged  with  ashy-white.  Line  over  eye  and 
entire  under  parts  brownish-red,  fading  into  white  on  the  flanks 
and  crissum,  the  latter  with  sagittate  dark  marks.  Bill  and  feet 
greenish-black.  Young :  Above,  uniform  dark  ash,  with  a  con- 
spicuous set  of  black  and  white  semicircles,  very  characteristic  of 
the  species  ;  under  parts  white,  more  or  less  tinged  with  reddish, 
the  throat,  breast,  and  sides  with  dark  marks. 

This  large  and  handsome  species,  remarkable  for  its 
seasonal  differences  of  plumage,  but  in  any  state  readily 


CALIDRIS    ARENARIA  I    SANDERLING  ;    RUDDY    PLOVER.  22Q 

distinguished  from  its  congeners,  is  a  common  spring  and 
autumn  migrant  through  New  England,  where  it  is 
found  chiefly  in  small  flocks  along  the  seashore.  Ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Merriam  it  has  been  observed  in  Con- 
necticut, near  Middletown,  "in  summer;"  but  this 
probably  means  late  in  that  season,  and  does  not  imply 
that  the  bird  ever  passes  the  whole  summer  with  us. 
Mr.  Boardman  speaks  of  its  appearance  in  Maine  in 
August  and  September.  It  usually  arrives  the  latter 
part  of  August,  remaining  for  a  couple  of  months,  and  re- 
appears in  April  and  May. 


SANDERLING;  RUDDY  PLOVER. 
CALIDRIS  ARENARIA  (L.)  Illig. 

Chars.  Readily  distinguished  from  any  other  Sandpiper  by 
having  no  hind  toe,  like  a  plover.  Entire  upper  parts  and  neck 
all  around  variegated  with  black,  light  ashy  and  bright-reddish. 
Under  parts  white,  immaculate.  Winter  and  young  birds  with 
little  if  any  trace  of  the  reddish,  the  upper  parts  being  regularly 
mottled  with  blackish  and  whitish,  the  under  parts  white.  Bill 
and  feet  blackish.  Length,  7.50-8.00  ;  extent,  15.00-16.00  ;  wing, 
4.90  ;  tail,  2.25,  bill  about  i.oo;  tarsus  rather  less  ;  middle  toe  and 
claw  0.75. 

The  "Beach-bird,"  as  this  species  is  called  by  the 
gunners,  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  of  its  tribe  in 
New  England  during  the  vernal  and  autumnal  migra- 
tions. It  also  occurs,  though  more  sparingly,  in  winter, 
and  Mr.  Verrill  found  it  abundant  in  summer  on  the 
coast  of  Maine,  where  he  was  of  opinion  it  might  breed. 
We  have,  however,  no  sufficient  evidence  that  it  does  so, 
and  in  "fact  the  probability  is  the  other  way ;  for  the 


23O  SCOLOPACIDjE  I   SNIPE,    ETC. 

Sanderling   is   only  known  to   nest   in  high   latitudes. 

This  seems  to  be  a  case  like  that  of  our  other  Sand- 
pipers, stragglers  of  nearly  or 
quite  all  of  which  may  be 
found  along  our  coast  in  sum- 
mer, though  not  breeding 
within  our  limits.  The  pres- 
ent species  is  extremely  abun- 
dant on  the  pebbly  and  sandy 
beaches  in  the  autumn,  be- 
OF  SANDERLING.  coming  numerous  in  Septem- 
ber, and  so  continuing 

through  the  following  month. 


GREAT  MARBLED    GODWIT. 

LlMOSA    FCEDA    (L.)    Ord. 

Chars.  Feathers  not  extending  on  side  of  lower  mandible  far 
beyond  those  on  upper.  No  white  anywhere  ;  rump,  tail  and  its 
coverts  barred  throughout  with  blackish  and  the  body-color. 
Lining  of  wings  and  axillars  chestnut,  more  or  less  barred  with 
black.  General  color  rufous  or  light  dull  cinnamon-red,  nearly 
uniform  on  the  under  parts,  richer  on  lining  of  the  wings,  on  the 
whole  upper  parts  variegated  with  the  brownish-black  field  of  each 
feather,  the  blackish  predominating,  leaving  the  rufous  chiefly  as 
scollops  and  tippings  of  the  feathers.  Bill  livid  flesh-color, 
blackish  on  about  the  terminal  third ;  feet  ashy-blackish. 
Length,  16.00-22.00 ;  extent,  30.00-40.00 ;  wing  somewhere 
about  9.00,  bill,  3.50-550,  generally  about  4.00;  tarsus  about 
3-00. 

This  is  the  largest  of  the  "  Bay-birds,"  excepting  the 
great  Curlew,  and  no  less  conspicuous  by  its  reddish 
"color-line"  than  by  its  size.  It  may  easily  be  dis- 


LIMOSA    FCEDA  :    GREAT    MARBLED    GODWIT.          23! 


tinguished  from  a  Curlew  by  the  fact  that  the  bill  is 
either  straight,  or  bent  a  little  upward,  —  not  decurved. 
It  does  not  appear  to  go  far  northward  along  the  At- 
lantic coast,  where  it  is  not  common  beyond  the  Middle 
States  ;  being,  in  fact,  a  rare  bird  in  New  England.  It 
inhabits  muddy  estuaries  and  marshes,  usually  in  flocks 
of  greater  or  less  extent. 

The  eggs  of  this  Godwit,  not  as  yet  well-known,  are 
described  by  Coues  in  the  following  terms  : — 

"  The  only  perfect  set  of  eggs  of  the  Godwit  I  have 
seen  were  taken  June 
I,  1871,  fifty  miles 
northwest  of  Saint 
Paul,  Minnesota ;  both 
parents  were  secured 
and  deposited  in  the 
Saint  Paul  Academy, 
where  I  examined 
them ;  so  that  the 
identification  is  un- 
questionable. There 
are  three  eggs  in  this 
set,  measuring  2.30  X 
1. 60,  2.28  X  1.56,  and  2.26  X  1.62.  The  color  is  a 
clear,  light  olivaceous-drab ;  the  markings  are  small 
and  numerous,  but  not  very  strongly  pronounced  — 
there  is  nothing  (in  this  set)  of  the  heavy  blotching  and 
marking  usually  seen  in  waders'  eggs.  The  spots  are 
pretty  evenly  distributed,  though  rather  larger  in  two 
instances,  and  more  numerous  in  the  other  instance, 
about  the  butt  than  elsewhere.  These  markings  are  of 
various  umber-brown  shades,  with  the  usual  stone-gray 
shell  spots." 


FIG.  51.  — GREAT  MARBI.ED  GODWIT. 


232  SCOLOPACIDjE  :   SNIPE,    ETC. 

HUDSONIAN  GODWIT. 

LIMOSA  H^MASTICA   (Linn.,  1758.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Feathers  on  side  of  lower  mandible  reaching  to  a  point  far 
in  advance  of  those  on  upper  mandible.  Rump  blackish.  Most 
of  the  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  longest  coverts  and  the  tail- 
feathers  black  with  white  bases,  the  tail-feathers  also  white  tipped- 
Lining  of  wings  sooty-blackish,  mixed  with  some  white;  axillars 
black.  Under  parts  rich  chestnut-red,  crossed  everywhere  with 
numerous  irregular  black  bars,  there  being  several  on  each 
feather,  and  usually  also  crossed  with  similar  white  bars,  espec- 
ially behind.  Upper  parts  blackish  with  a  greenish  gloss, 
intimately  mixed  with  rufous  and  whitish.  Bill  light-colored, 
dark  on  the  terminal  third.  Length,  14.00-16.50  ;  extent,  24.00- 
26.50  ;  wing,  7.50-8.50;  tail,  3.00-3.50  ;  tarsus,  2.25-2.55. 

This  smaller  Godwit,  the  American  representative  of 
the  European  Black-tailed  Godwit,  Limosa  czgocephala, 
will  be  readily  distinguished  from  the  foregoing  by  the 
above  characters.  Young  and  winter  specimens  differ  a 
good  deal  in  general  body  colors,  but  the  specific  char- 
acters of  the  wings  and  tail  are  much  the  same.  The 
species  is  more  frequently  seen  in  New  England  than 
the  Great  Marbled  Godwit,  and  in  some  seasons  is  to  be 
fairly  called  common  ;  but  it  is  somewhat  irregular  in  its 
movements,  and  more  or  less  locally  distributed.  Dr. 
Brewer  notices  one  shot  on  Cape  Cod  in  November, 
1878  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  64),  but  this  is 
doubtless  exceptional.  The  breeding  resorts  are  en- 
tirely beyond  our  limits,  in  hyperborean  regions.  A 
set  of  four  eggs  in  the  Smithsonian,  from  Anderson 
River,  where  they  were  secured  by  Mr.  MacFarlane, 
June  9,  measure  2.15  to  2.20  in  length  by  about  1.40  in 
breadth.  The  ground  is  a  very  heavily  shaded  olive- 


SYMPH.  SEMIPALMATA  :  SEMIPALMATED  TATTLER.  233 

drab,  much  darker  (almost  as  in  a  Loon's  or  Jager's 
egg)  in  two  of  the  specimens  than  in  the  other.  In 
these  darker  specimens  the  markings  are  almost  lost 
in  the  general  heavy  color,  merely  appearing  a  little 
darker;  they  are  chiefly  evident  at  the  greater  end.  In 
the  other  the  markings,  of  the  same  general  character,  are, 
however,  much  more  conspicuous,  owing  to  the  lighter 
ground.  The  peculiar  coloration  of  the  bird  has  given 
rise  to  the  name  "  spot-rump,"  by  which  it  is  known  to 
sportsmen. 


SEMIPALMATED  TATTLER;  WILLET. 

SYMPHEMIA  SEMIPALMATA  (Gin.)  Hartl. 

Chars.  Toes  semipalmate  ;  a  web  of  some  size  between  the  inner 
and  middle  as  well  as  between  the  outer  and  middle  ;  bill  stout  for 
this  family.  Above,  in  summer,  ashy  speckled  with  dusky, 
sometimes  with  slight  rufescence.  Under  parts  white,  some- 
times with  slight  rufescence,  the  throat  and  breast  spotted  and 
streaked  with  dusky,  the  sides  banded  or  arrow-headed  with  the 
same,  the  axillars  and  lining  of  wings,  and  edge  of  wing  and 
primary  coverts,  blackish  ;  a  great  white  space  on  the  wings 
partly  overlaid  by  the  coverts.  Tail  ashy,  incompletely  barred 
with  blackish,  its  coverts  mostly  white.  Bill  dark ;  legs  blue. 
Young,  and  in  winter,  chiefly  plain  ashy  above  and  white  below. 
Length  about  16.00  ;  wing,  8.00  ;  tail,  3.00  ;  bill,  2.50  ;  tarsus  the 
same. 

This  large,  stout  Tattler,  known  at  a  glance  by  its 
white-mirrored,  black-lined  wings  and  blue  legs,  is  one 
of  the  few  species  of  the  great  family  Scolopacidcz 
which  regularly  and  plentifully  summer  in  some  portion 
of  New  England,  though  more  frequently  observed 
during  spring  and  fall  than  at  any  other  season  of  the 
year. 


234 


SCOLOPACIDvE  I    SNIPE,    ETC. 


The  nest  is  placed  near  the  water  of  some  secluded 
pool,  or  in  the  midst  of  a  marsh,  whether  fresh  or  salt, 
in  a  tussock  of  grass  or  rushes.  It  is  a  rude  structure, 
of  the  simplest  materials,  raised  a  little  way  from  the 
ground,  and  with  a  shallow  indentation.  The  eggs  are 
very  variable  in  all  respects.  As  to  size  and  shape,  the 
following  measurements  show  the  differences  :  1.90  X 
1.45  ;  1.95  X  1.50  ;  2.00  x  1.50;  2.05  X  1.55  ;  2.12  x 
1.50;  averaging  about  2.00  X  1.50.  They  are  less 
pointedly  pyriform  than  the  eggs  of  the  smaller  Tattlers 


FIG.  52.  —  HEAD  OF  WILI.ET.     Natural  size. 

and  Sandpipers.  The  ground  is  sometimes  brownish- 
olive,  or  drab,  or  clay-color;  sometimes>  again,  quite 
buffy-brown  ;  in  a  few  cases  greenish  or  grayish-white. 
The  spotting  is  bold  and  distinct,  but  little  massed  even 
at  the  greater  end,  where,  though  the  spots  are  largest 
and  most  numerous,  they  generally  remain  distinct. 
The  spots  are  mostly  clean-edged  and  sharp,  of  mod- 
erate size,  but  sometimes  quite  fine  and  scratchy. 
They  are  of  various  umber-brown  shades,  and  accom- 
panied with  the  usual  obsolete  shell-markings. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances  Willets  are  notoriously 
restless,  wary,  and   noisy   birds ;   but   their   nature   is 


SYMPH.   SEMIPALMATA  :    SEMIPALMATED    TATTLER.       235 

changed,  or,  at  any  rate,  held  in  abeyance,  during  and 
for  a  short  time  after  incubation.  They  cease  their 
cries,  grow  less  uneasy,  become  gentle,  if  still  suspic- 
ious, and  may  generally  be  seen  stalking  quietly  about 
the  nest.  When  Willets  are  found  in  that  humor  — 
absent-minded,  as  it  were,  absorbed  in  reflection  upon 
their  engrossing  duties,  and  unlikely  to  observe  any- 
thing not  directly  in  front  of  their  bill  —  it  is  pretty 
good  evidence  that  they  have  a  nest  hard  by.  It  is  the 
same  with  Avocets,  and  probably  many  other  waders. 
During  incubation  the  bird  that  is "  off  duty  "  (both 
parents  are  said  to  take  turns  at  this)  almost  always 
indulges  in  revery,  doubtless  rose- 
tinted,  and  becomes  in  a  correspond- 
ing degree  oblivious  to  outward 
things.  If  then  they  are  not  set 
upon  in  a  manner  entirely  too  rude 
and  boisterous,  the  inquiring  orni- 

FIG.    53. —  SEMIPALMATED 

thologist    could    desire    no    better     TOES  OF  WILLET.    Nat- 

ural  size. 

opportunity  than  he  will  have  to 
observe  their  every  motion  and  attitude.  But  once  let 
them  become  thoroughly  alarmed  by  too  open  approach, 
particularly  if  the  setting  bird  be  driven  from  her  nest, 
and  the  scene  quickly  shifts ;  there  is  a  great  outcry, 
violent  protest  and  tumult,  where  was  quietude.  Other 
pairs,  nesting  near  by,  join  their  cries  till  the  confusion 
becomes  general.  But  now,  again,  their  actions  are  not 
those  they  would  show  at  other  times  ;  for,  instead  of 
flying  off  with  the  instinct  of  self-preservation,  to  put 
distance  between  them  and  danger,  they  are  held  by 
some  fascination  to  the  spot,  and  hover  around,  wheel- 
ing about,  flying  in  circles  a  little  way  to  return  again, 
with  unremitting  clamor.  They  may  be  only  too  easily 


236  SCOLOPACID^  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

destroyed  under  such  circumstances,  provided  the 
ornithologist  can  lay  aside  his  scruples  and  steel  himself 
against  sympathy. 


GREATER  TATTLER;  GREATER  YELLOW- 
LEGS;  STONE  SNIPE. 

TOTANUS  MELANOLEUCUS  (Gm.)    Vieill. 

Chars.  Bill  slender,  longer  than  head,  straight  or  slightly  bent 
upward,  black  or  blackish  ;  legs  very  long,  yellow.  Above 
blackish,  more  or  less  ashy  according  to  season,  everywhere 
speckled  with  whitish,  in  a  series  of  indentations  along  each 
feather.  A  slight  white  superciliary  line  ;  upper  tail-coverts 
mostly  white.  Under  parts  white,  the  jugulum,  breast,  and  sides 
with  dark  streaks  or  bars.  Length,  13.50;  extent,  14.00;  wing 
over  7.00,  nearer  8.00 ;  tail,  3.00  or  more  ;  bill,  2.00  or  more. 

This  large  and  elegant  Tattler,  well-known  to  gun- 
ners, is  a  common  species  in  New  England  during  the 


FIG.  54.  —  HEAD  AND  FOOT  OF  GREATER  TATTLER.    Natural  size. 

migrations.  A  few  are  also  observed  to  linger  through 
the  summer,  but  we  have  no  evidence  that  the  bird  ever 
breeds  with  us.  It  is  seen  chiefly  in  May  and  Septem- 


TOTANUS  FLAVIPES  :  LESSER  TATTLER.      237 

ber,  though  also  frequently  in  August,  both  coastwise 
and  in  the  interior,  in  the  autumn  usually  in  small 
flocks,  with  other  birds  of  the  bay  and  marsh.  It  is 
commonly  called  the  "winter  yellow-legs,"  by  the  gun- 
ners, to  distinguish  it  from  the  smaller  species  next 
to  be  noticed,  to  which  the  same  description  is  ap- 
plied. It  is  remarkable  for  its  shrill,  piercing  cries, 
reiterated  whilst  the  bird  is  flying.  These  notes  are 
readily  imitated,  and  the  yellow-legs  may  consequently 
be  easily  decoyed  within  the  deadly  range  of  the  con- 
cealed sportsman,  or  the  less  harmful  purview  of  the 
nervous  tyro. 


LESSER  TATTLER ;  LESSER  YELLOW-LEGS. 

TOTANUS  FLAVIPES  (Gm.)    Vieill. 

Chars.  A  miniature  of  the  preceding ;  colors  the  same  ;  legs 
comparatively  longer;  bill  grooved  rather  more  extensively, 
perfectly  straight.  Length  under  12.00,  usually  10.00-11.00; 
extent  about  20.00  ;  wing  under  7.00  ;  tail  under  3.00;  bill 
always  under  2.00  ;  tarsus  about  2.00. 

This  species  occurs  with  the  preceding  in  autumn,  but 
it  is  not  a  regular  spring  migrant,  and  is  quite  scarce 
with  us  during  the  vernal  season.  We  are  aware  that 
the  New  England  local  lists,  which  generally  speak  of 
this  bird  in  the  same  terms  as  those  used  in  noting  the 
preceding  species,  do  not  support  this  statement ;  but  it 
is  a  fact  nevertheless.  (See  Hapgood,  Forest  and 
Stream,  xvii,  Oct.  20,  1881,  p.  226;  and  Maynard,  B.  E. 
N.  A.,  pp.  393,  394.)  The  bird  is  common,  and  well- 
known  to  the  gunners,  who  sometimes  call  it  the 
"  summer  yellow-legs,"  to  distinguish  it  from  the  pre- 


238  SCOLOPACID^E  I    SNIPE,    ETC. 

ceding,  as  odd  birds  may  be  found  with  us  throughout 
that  season.  Its  cries  resemble  those  of  the  other,  but 
are  clearer  and  not  SQ  loud. 

The  Yellowshank,  so  far  as  known,  nests  only  in  high 
latitudes.  The  eggs  are  deposited  on  the  ground,  in  a 
little  depression,  lined  with  a  few  dried  leaves  or  grasses. 
They  are  three  or  four  in  number,  narrowly  and 
pointedly  pyriform,  measuring  from  1.58  X  1.18  to  1.78 
X  1.15  ;  the  longest  not  being  always  also  the  broadest. 
The  ground  is  a  clear  clay-color,  sometimes  tending 
more  to  buffy  or  creamy,  sometimes  rather  to  light 
brown.  The  marking  is  bold  and  heavy,  but  presents 
the  customary  great  diversity,  some  eggs  being  very 
heavily  splashed  with  blotches  confluent  about  the 
larger  end,  while  others  have  smaller  clean-edged  spots 
all  over  the  surface.  The  markings  are  rich  umber- 
brown,  often  tending  to  chocolate,  sometimes  almost 
blackish.  The  paler  shell-markings  are  usually  numer- 
ous and  noticeable.  An  occasional  "  albino "  egg  is 
seen,  whitish,  with  scarcely  any  markings.  All  the 
many  eggs  examined  are  from  Arctic  America. 


SOLITARY  TATTLER  ;  AMERICAN  GREEN 
SANDPIPER. 

RHYACOPHILUS  SOLITARIUS  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Bill  moderately  longer  than  head,  very  slender,  straight, 
grooved  a  little  beyond  the  middle  ;  bill  and  legs  both  dark- 
colored  ;  only  a  very  rudimentary  web  between  inner  and  middle 
toe.  Above,  dark  lustrous  olive-brown,  streaked  on  the  head 
and  neck,  elsewhere  finely  speckled,  with  white.  Below,  white, 
the  jugulum  and  sides  of  neck  shaded  with  brownish  and 
streaked  with  dusky ;  sides,  axillars,  lining  of  wings,  and  tail- 


RHYACOPHILUS    SOLITARIUS  I    SOLITARY    TATTLER.       239 

feathers  beautifully  and  regularly  barred  with  white  and  black. 
Bill  blackish  ;  legs  dark  greenish,  drying  quite  black.  Length, 
8.00-9.00  ;  extent,  15.50-17.00;  wing,  4.75-540;  tail,  2.25;  bill, 
1.12-1.24 ;  tarsus,  1.20-1.30. 

The  New  England  status  of  this  bird  is  not  deter- 
mined with  desirable  precision.  We  think  it  is  really  to 
be  classed  as  a  summer  resident,  and  a  breeder  within 
our  limits,  in  the  Canadian  Fauna  at  least,  though  the 


FIG.  55.  —  HEAD  OF  SOLITARY  SANDPIPER.    Nat.  size. 

evidence  favoring  this  view  is  not.  entirely  satisfactory. 
It  is  not  one  of  the  "  high  north "  birds ;  our  Arctic 
explorers  do  not  report  it  from  such  regions,  and  it 
unquestionably  passes  the  summer  in  portions  of  the 
United  States  adjoining  British  provinces,  though  its 
breeding  has  thus  far  eluded  satisfactory  observation, 
and  the  eggs  are  still  a  special  desideratum.  In 
Southern  New  England  it  is  chiefly  if  not  entirely  a 
migrant. 

Mr.  E.  A.  Samuels  speaks  of  its  remaining  about 
Canton,  Mass.,  during  the  summer,  and  thinks  that  it 
breeds  there.  Mr.  Maynard  prints  a  note  from  Mr. 
Brewster,  to  the  effect  that  Solitary  Sandpipers  were 
common  at  Gorham  in  July,  when  they  were  migrating, 
and  that  he  saw  a  pair  with  young  at  Franconia  in 
August  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xiv,  1871,  p.  383).  Dr.  Brewer 
marks  the  species  as  a  summer  resident  in  Northern 
New  England  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  446).  The 


24O  SCOLOPACID.E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

latter  author  also  furnishes  the  most  conclusive  evidence 
we  have  that  the  bird  actually  breeds  in  New  England. 
He  heard  of  one  having  been  shot  by  Mr.  Jenness 
Richardson,  about  the  middle  of  May,  1878,  in  Castle- 
ton,  Vt.,  near  a  nest  from  which  one  egg  was  obtained. 
The  nest  was  a  mere  depression  in  the  ground,  in  a 
pasture  bordering  a  swamp ;  the  bird  was  discovered  on 
it.  "This  egg  resembles  no  egg  in  my  possession,  and 
in  its  appearance  there  is  something  suggestive  of  an 
egg  prematurely  cut  from  the  parent.  It  is  smaller 
than  I  anticipated,  measuring  only  1.37  X  0.95,  while 
the  egg  of  Totanus  ochropus,  which  bird  closely  cor- 
responds in  size  and  appearance  with  our  Solitary, 
measures  1.50  X  i.io.  The  ground  color  is  a  light  drab, 
similar  to  that  of  dlgialites  melodus.  Over  this  are 
scattered  small,  rounded  markings  of  brown,  some  of 
these  quite  dark,  nowhere  confluent,  and  never  large 
enough  to  be  called  blotches.  At  the  larger  end  are 
a  few  faint  purplish  or  lilac  discolorations  or  shell- 
markings.  In  shape  it  is  an  elongated  pyriform." 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  197.) 

The  Solitary  Sandpiper  ordinarily  appears  in  New 
England  by  the  end  of  April  or  early  in  May,  and 
remains  until  October  —  exceptionally  until  November, 
as  in  the  case  recorded  by  Maynard,  as  above  cited.  It 
is  not  a  bird  of  the  shore  or  open  marsh,  but  of  pools 
and  ditches,  ponds  under  cover,  and  other  retired  wet 
places.  Though  a  timid  bird,  like  most  of  its  tribe,  it  is 
under  ordinary  circumstances  familiar  and  unsuspicious, 
often  permitting  a  close  approach  before  taking  flight. 


TRINGOIDES    MACULARIUS  :    SPOTTED    SANDPIPER.       24! 

SPOTTED  SANDPIPER. 
TRINGOIDES  MACULARIUS  (L.)  Gray. 

Chars  Bill  straight,  only  about  as  long  as  head  or  tarsus,  grooved 
for  about  |  its  length.  Tarsus  about  as  long  as  middle  toe  and 
claw  ;  tail  rounded,  half  as  long  as  the  wing.  Bill  and  feet  pale- 
colored.  Above,  silky  ashy-olive  (color  of  a  cuckoo)  with  a 
coppery  lustre,  finely  varied  with  blackish.  Line  over  eye  and 
entire  under  parts,  pure  white,  fully  spotted  with  dusky — the 
spots  larger  and  more  crowded  on  the  female  than  on  the  male, 
wanting  in  the  young.  Secondaries  and  their  coverts  broadly 
tipped  with  white  ;  tail  incompletely  white-barred.  Feet  pinkish- 
white,  drying  yellowish  ;  bill  flesh-color,  black-tipped.  Length, 
about  7.50;  extent,  13.50;  wing,  4.00;  bill,  tarsus,  and  middle 
toe  with  claw,  each,  0.95-1.00. 

This  is  one  of  the  very  few  Waders,  if  indeed  not  the 
only  one,  which  apparently  nests  with  equal  readiness  in 


FIG.  56.  —  HEAD  OF  SPOTTED  SANDPIPER.    Nat.  size. 

almost  any  portion  of  its  North  American  range. 
Hence  it  is  a  summer  resident  in  New  England,  where  it 
arrives  the  latter  part  of  April  or  beginning  of  May,  and 
remains  until  October,  being  diffused  in  abundance  all 
over  our  country  wherever  there  is  water.  It  is  a 
familiar  inhabitant  of  moist  meadow-land  and  the  brook- 
side,  where  its  low,  devious  flight,  its  amusing  postur- 
ing, and  its  mellow  "peet-weet  "  are  known  to  all  who 


242  SCOLOPACIM:  :  SNIPE,  ETC. 

have  any  senses  for  the  feathered  life  of  our  fields. 
Like  the  bowing  and  nodding  of  the  Solitary  Sand- 
pipers, are  the  still  more  curious  actions  of  the  Spotted 
Sandpipers,  thus  described  by  Coues  :  "  a  queer  balanc- 
ing of  the  body  upon  the  legs,  constituting  an  amuse- 
ment of  which  these  last-named  birds  are  extremely  fond. 
As  often  as  the  Tip-up,  or  'Teeter-tail,'  as  it  is  also 
called,  stops  in  its  pursuit  of  insects,  the  fore  part  of  the 
body  is  lowered  a  little,  the  head  drawn  in,  the  legs 
slightly  bent,  whilst  the  hinder  parts  and  tail  are  alter- 
nately hoisted  with  a  peculiar  jerk,  and  drawn  down 
again,  with  the  regularity  of  clock-work.  The  move- 
ment is  more  conspicuous  in  the  upward  than  in  the 
downward  part  of  the  performance ;  as  if  the  tail  were 
spring-hinged,  in  constant  danger  of  flying  up,  and 
needing  constant  presence  of  mind  to  keep  it  down.  It 
is  amusing  to  see  an  old  male  in  the  breeding  season  busy 
with  this  operation.  Upon  some  rock  jutting  out  of  the 
water  he  stands,  swelling  with  amorous  pride  and  self- 
sufficiency,  puffing  out  his  plumage  till  he  looks  twice  as 
big  as  natural,  facing  about  on  his  narrow  pedestal,  and 
bowing  with  his  hinder  parts  to  all  points  of  the  com- 
pass. A  sensitive  and  fastidious  person  might  see 
something  derisive,  if  not  actually  insulting,  in  this,  and 
feel  as  Crusoe  may  be  presumed  to  have  felt  when  the 
savages  who  attacked  his  ship  in  canoes  showed  the 
signs  of  contumacious  scorn  that  De  Foe  records. 
But  it  would  not  be  worth  while  to  feel  offended,  since 
this  is  only  the  entirely  original  and  peculiar  way  the 
Tip-up  has  of  conducting  his  courtships.  Ornitholo- 
gists are  not  agreed  upon  the  useful  purpose  subserved 
in  this  way,  and  have  as  yet  failed  to  account  for  the 
extraordinary  performance." 


MACHETES  PUGNAX  :  THE  RUFF  OR  REEVE.    243 

The  nest  is  made  in  a  field,  pasture  or  meadow,  often 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  any  water.  It  is  usually  a 
mere  depression  in  the  ground,  lined  with  a  few  blades  of 
grass,  but  sometimes  a  good  deal  of  a  nest  is  constructed 
of  hay  and  moss,  particularly  in  the  North.  The  eggs 
are  usually  four  in  number,  pointedly  pyriform  in  shape, 
of  a  clay  color  or  pale  creamy-brown,  heavily  blotched 
with  blackish-brown  and  neutral  tint,  measuring  about 
1.30  X  i.oo,  but  very  variable  in  size  and  in  the  precise 
pattern  of  the  markings. 


THE  RUFF  OR  REEVE. 
MACHETES  PUGNAX  (Linn.)  Cuv. 

Chars.  Bill  straight,  about  as  long  as  head,  longer  than  tarsus, 
gape  reaching  back  of  base  of  culmen  ;  outer  and  middle  toe 
webbed,  inner  cleft;  tarsus  longer  than  middle  toe  and  claw. 
Tail  about  half  as  long  as  wings,  barred.  In  the  breeding  season, 
face  of  male  beset  with  yellow  warts,  and  neck  ornamented  with 
a  frill  of  extravagant  feathers,  endlessly  varied  in  colors  ;  female 
lacking  these  ornaments.  Above,  varied  with  black,  brown,  buff 
and  chestnut ;  sides  of  the  rump  white  ;  under  parts  white  ;  quills 
dusky,  with  white  shafts  ;  wing-coverts  ashy-brown  ;  bill  blackish, 
flesh-colored  at  base  ;  legs  dingy  yellow.  Length  about  12.00; 
wing,  7.00;  tail,  300;  bill,  1.50  ;  tarsus,  2.00.  Female  smaller. 

This  is  a  widely  distributed  old  world  bird,  occasion- 
ally straggling  to  America,  there  being  various  instances 
of  its  capture  in  this  country,  and  especially  in  New 
England.  One  of  the  earliest  of  these  records  is  given 
by  Mr.  G.  N.  Lawrence  (Ann.  Lye.  Nat.  Hist.,  N.  Y.,  v, 
1852,  p.  220) :  a  specimen  from  Long  Island,  apparently 
the  same  as  that  alluded  to  by  Cassin,  in  Baird's  B.  of 
N.  A.,  1858,  p.  737.  Mr.  G.  A.  Boardman's  catalogue  of 


244  SCOLOPACIDjE  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

birds  found  about  Calais,  Me.,  speaks  of  the  Ruff  as 
accidentally  occurring  in  that  vicinity  in  one  or  two, 
instances  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  129).  On  the 
strength  of  these  cases,  Coues  appears  to  have  included 
the  species  in  his  New  England  List  of  1868,  with  the 
remark  :  "  Accidental  from  Europe  ;  several  instances  of 
its  capture  on  the  New  England  coast  "  (Pr.  Essex  Inst., 
v,  1868,  p.  296). 

Dr.  Brewer,  however,  speaks  as  if  Mr.  Boardman's 
captures  were  not  actually  made  within  Maine  limits, 
and  would  open  the  New  England  record  with  the 
unquestionable  case  recorded  by  Mr.  Brewster  in  Am. 
Nat.,  vi,  1872,  p.  306  ;  that  of  a  specimen  taken  on  the 
Newburyport  marshes,  May  20,  1871.  This  was  a 
female,  with  the  ovaries  so  active  that  it  was  judged  she 
would  soon  have  laid.  The  same  gentleman  also  gives 
the  second  definite  New  England  record :  a  female, 
killed  at  Upton,  Oxford  Co.,  Maine,  Sept.  8,  1874  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  19).  Mr.  Gordon  Plummer  has 
a  young  male  specimen,  shot  by  a  Mr.  Churchill  at 
Chatham,  Mass.,  Sept.  n,  1880,  as  recorded  in  Forest 
and  Stream  of  Oct.  7,  1880,  p.  186  —  said  to  be  the 
second  for  Massachusetts,  the  third  for  New  England, 
and  the  ninth  for  North  America. 

It  may  be  further  mentioned  here  that  the  Ruff  has 
even  been  taken  in  Ohio  —  Nov.  10,  1872,  at  the  Lick- 
ing Reservoir,  thirty  miles  east  of  Columbus,  by  Theo- 
dore Jasper  (see  Wheaton,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877, 
p.  83). 


BARTRAMIA  LONGICAUDA  I  BARTRAMIAN  SANDPIPER.  245 

BARTRAMIAN  SANDPIPER;    UPLAND 
PLOVER. 

BARTRAMIA  LONGICAUDA    (Bec/ist.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Bill  shorter  than  head,  about  equal  to  middle  toe  and  claw, 
straight ;  culmen  a  little  concave,  upper  mandible  grooved  for 
three-fourths  its  length,  gape  wide  and  deep,  reaching  below 
eyes.  Tail  more  than  half  as  long  as  wing,  graduated.  Tibia 
denuded  for  nearly  the  length  of  the  middle  toe.  Tarsi  much 
longer  than  middle  toe,  scutellate  before  and  behind.  Adult : 
Above  blackish,  intimately  varied  with  white  or  tawny  edges  of 
the  feathers,  the  dark  color  prevailing  on  the  crown  and  back,  the 
light  on  the  head,  neck,  and  wings  ;  on  the  scapulars  and  long 
inner  secondaries,  the  black  resolved  in  regular  angular  bars  on 
a  greenish-brown  field.  Rump  and  most  upper  tail-coverts 
brownish-black,  a  few  of  the  longer  coverts  barred  to  correspond 
with  the  tail.  Tail-feathers  mostly  orange-brown,  with  numerous 
dark  bars  and  spots  and  one  broad  black  subterminal  band,  and 
white  tips.  Under  parts  dull  soiled  whitish,  or  tawny-white,  the 
jugulum  streaked  with  blackish,  the  sides  with  sharp,  black 
arrow-heads  ;  axillars  and  lining  of  wings  white,  barred  with 
black.  Bill  yellow,  with  black  ridge  and  tip  ;  feet  clay-colored, 
drying  darker;  iris  dark-brown.  Length,  11.75-12.75;  extent, 
22.09;  wing,  6.25-7.00 ;  tail  about  3.50;  tarsus,  1.75;  bill,  i.oo- 
1.25  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  the  same. 

An  elegant  species,  commonly  resident  in  New  Eng- 
land during  the  summer,  and  especially  abundant  in 
spring  and  fall.  It  arrives  about  the  ist  of  May,  and 
may  be  found  until  October,  chiefly  in  upland  fields  and 
meadows  ;  being  one  of  those  waders  that  appears  to  be 
quite  independent  of  the  vicinity  of  water,  and  well 
deserving  its  name  of  "  upland  "  plover.  It  is  of  course 
not  a  "  plover  "  at  all,  but  a  Sandpiper ;  its  erroneous 
appellation  coming  probably  from  the  shortness  of  its 


246  SCOLOPACID^E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

bill,  and  some  of  its  habits,  in  some  respects  not  unlike 
those  of  a  Charadrius  or  Squatarola.  It  is  a  favorite 
game  bird,  and  great  numbers  are  annually  killed  for  the 
table, 

"The  nest,"  says  Coues,  "  is  flimsy  —  merely  a  few 
straws  to  keep  the  eggs  from  the  ground,  in  a  slight 
depression.  The  eggs  are  ordinarily  four  in  number, 
as  usual  among  Waders.  The  numerous  specimens 
I  have  collected  are  somewhat  notably  constant  in 
characters,  both  of  size  and  coloration.  In  dimensions 
they  range  from  1.90  X  1.30  inches,  to  1.70  X  1.25, 
averaging  about  1.75  X  1.28.  The  ground  is  pale  clay- 
color,  or  a  very  light  drab — sometimes  the  palest  pos- 
sible creamy-brown  —  with  scarcely  a  shade  of  oliva- 
ceous. They  are  spotted  all  over,  but  much  more 
thickly  at  the  larger  end,  with  rather  small,  sharp, 
surface  markings  of  umber-brown,  overlaying  a  smaller 
number  of  purplish-gray  shell-markings.  However 
thickly  they  may  be  sprinkled,  the  spots  are  rarely,  if 
ever,  confluent  into  masses  of  any  size,  the  largest  I 
have  seen  not  exceeding  the  diameter  of  a  pea.  These 
larger  blotches  are  irregular  in  contour,  but  the  smaller 
ones  are  mostly  rounded." 


BUFF-BREASTED  SANDPIPER. 
TRYNGITES  RUFESCENS    (Vieill.)  Cab. 

Chars.  Bill  shorter  than  head,  very  slender  and  acute,  grooved 
nearly  its  whole  length,  as  in  a  Tringa,  but  gape  extensive,  and 
end  of  bill  not  dilated  or  sensitive.  Tarsus  longer  than  middle 
toe  and  claw ;  toes  cleft  to  the  base,  or  with  only  the  most 
rudimentary  basal  webbing.  Primaries  peculiarly  marbled  in 


TRYNGITES  RUFESCENS  :    BUFF-BREASTED  SANDPIPER.    247 

color  —  ashy-brown,  blackening  at  end,  extreme  tip  white,  most 
of  the  inner  webs  of  the  primaries,  and  both  webs  of  the  second- 
aries pearly-white,  speckled,  clouded  and  marbled  with  black. 
Upper  parts  brownish-black  with  a  greenish-gloss,  each  feather 
edged  with  tawny  or  yellowish-brown,  giving  the  prevailing  lone. 
Under  parts  buff  or  fawn-colored,  unmarked  excepting  a  few 
blackish  specks  on  the  breast.  Central  tail-feathers  greenish- 
brown,  blackening  at  the  end,  the  others  paler,  often  rufescent, 
with  white  or  tawny  tips  and  black  subterminal  bar  ;  also,  usually 
some  black  marbling  or  streaking.  Length,  7.50-8.25  ;  extent 
about  16.00  ;  wing,  5.10  ;  tail,  1.50  ;  bill  along  culmen  0.67-0.75  ; 
along  gape,  i.oo  ;  tarsus,  1.20  ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  i.oo. 

A  curious  little  Sandpiper,  of  general  distribution  in 
North  America,  apparently  nowhere  very  common.  It 
is  a  spring  and  autumn 
migrant  only  in  New 
England,  quite  rare  in 
the  spring,  less  so  in  the 
fall.  It  is  easily  recog- 
nized by  its  special  form, 

and  the  CUrioUS  mottling  FlG-  57-  -  H|^D°^^ FF-BREASTED 

of  the  wing-feathers,  the 

pattern  of  which  is  best  displayed  from  the  under  side. 
It  appears  to  be  most  nearly  related  to  the  Bartramian, 
with  the  habits  of  which  its  own  to  some  extent  corre- 
spond. 

"Of  the  very  rare  and  scarcely  known  eggs  of  the 
Buff -breasted  Sandpiper,"  says  Coues,  "  I  have  examined 
about  a  dozen  sets  in  the  Smithsonian,  all  collected  by 
Mr.  MacFarlane  in  the  Anderson  River  region  and 
along  the  Arctic  coast  to  the  eastward.  They  are  very 
pointedly  pyriform.  The  following  measurements  indi- 
cate the  size,  shape,  and  limits  of  variation  :  1.50  X  1.03  ; 
1.48  X  i.io;  1.45  X  1.02;  1.40  X  1.04.  The  ground  is 


248  SCOLOPACID.E  :    SNIPE,    ETC. 

clay,  sometimes  with  a  slight  olivaceous  or  drab  shade, 
oftener  with  a  clear  grayish  cast,  of  rather  peculiar 
shade.  The  markings  are  extremely  bold  and  sharp, 
though  not  heavier  than  usual.  Taking  a  specimen  in 
which  the  markings  are  most  distinct,  we  find  heavy 
blotches  and  spots  of  indeterminate  size  and  shape  all 
over  the  egg,  of  rich  umber-brown,  deeper  or  lighter 
according  to  the  quantity  of  pigment.  Nearest  these 
blotched  varieties  come  the  splashed  ones,  in  which  the 
markings  mass  more  heavily  about  the  larger  end,  and 
are  elsewhere  spattered  over  in  rather  small  markings. 
This  is  the  more  frequent  pattern ;  and  in  some  cases 
the  splashing  hides  the  ground-color  at  the  large  end. 
Other  examples  are  spotted  with  rather  narrow  markings 
that  seem  to  radiate  from  the  large  end,  becoming 
largest  and  thickest  around  the  greatest  diameter  of  the 
egg,  and  being  much  smaller  elsewhere.  All  the  eggs 
have  the  usual  neutral  or  stone-gray  shell-markings,  and 
in  most  of  them  there  are  at  the  large  end  a  few  spots 
or  scrawls  of  blackish  over  all  the  other  markings. 
According  to  the  labels,  the  nidification  is  not  peculiar, 
the  nest  being  a  slight  depression  in  the  ground,  lined 
with  a  few  dried  grasses  or  leaves.  The  eggs  are  four 
in  a  majority  of  instances." 


LONG-BILLED  CURLEW;  SICKLE-BILL. 

NUMENIUS   LONGIROSTRIS 


Chars.  Birds  of  this  genus  are  distinguished  by  the  length,  slender- 
ness  and  downward  curvature  of  the  bill.  In  these  respects  the 
present  species  stands  first,  the  bill  measuring  from  4.00  to  8.00 


NUMENIUS    LONGIROSTRIS  .'    LONG-BILLED    CURLEW.    249 

in  length,  usually  5.00  or  6.00.  Length,  24.00  or  more  ;  extent 
about  37.00;  wing,  10.00-12.00;  tail,  4.00;  tarsus,  2.75-3.50. 
Prevailing  tone  of  plumage  rufous,  usually  deepest  under  the 
wings,  where  little  varied  with  other  color ;  primaries  dark, 
varied  with  rufous.  Top  of  head  variegated  with  rufous  or 
whitish  and  blackish,  without  distinct  pale  median  and  lateral 
lines.  Upper  parts  brownish-black,  speckled  with  tawny  or 
cinnamon-brown  ;  tail-feathers  and  secondaries  cinnamon-brown, 
with  pretty  regular  dark  bars  throughout.  Under  parts  rufous 
or  cinnamon  of  varying  intensity,  usually  deepening  to  chestnut 
under  the  wings,  fading  to  whitish  on  the  throat ;  the  jugulum 
and  fore  breast  with  dusky  streaks  which  tend  to  become  bars  or 
arrow-heads  on  the  sides.  No  white  on  rump,  wings,  or  tail.  Bill 
black,  much  of  under  mandible  pale  flesh-color  or  yellowish  ; 
feet  dark. 

This  great  Curlew,  the  largest  of  the  whole  family 
Scolopacidcz,  is  rated  by  Dr.  Brewer  as  a  rare  midsum- 
mer visitor  along  the  coast 
(Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875, 
p.  446).  As  Mr.  Purdie  has 
shown,  however  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  i,  1876,  p.  73;  ii,  1877, 
p.  17)  it  is  rather  to  be 
placed  in  the  category  of 
the  spring  and  autumn  mi- 
grants, as  given  by  Allen,  FIG-  58.—  HE  AD  ^LONG-BILLED 

Merriam,     and     Boardman, 

though  a  few  individuals  undoubtedly  spend  the  summer 
on  the  more  unfrequented  portions  of  the  coast  and  in  the 
adjoining  marshes.  Unlike  others  of  its  genus,  it  is  not 
a  bird  of  the  high  north.  It  is  generally  seen  in  small 
flocks,  and  found  to  be  extremely  wary  and  difficult 
to  approach.  It  is  not  one  of  our  common  birds,  nor 
at  all  regular  in  its  times  of  appearance  and  disappear- 
ance. 


25O  SCOLOPACID.E  :    SNIPE.    ETC. 

The  eggs  of  the  Long-billed  Curlew  are  not  often 
so  pyriform  as  those  of  the  smaller  waders,  being  in  shape 
not  unlike  a  hen's  eggs.  Different  specimens  measure  : 
2.45  X  1.85  ;  2.60  X  i. 80 ;  2.65  X  i. 80  ;  2.70  X  1.90  ; 
2.8oX  1.90.  They  are  clay-colored,  with  more  or  less 
olivaceous  in  some  instances,  and  in  others  a  decidedly 
buffy  shade.  The  spotting  is  generally  pretty  uniformly 
distributed  and  of  small  pattern,  though  in  many  cases 
there  is  larger  blotching  and  even  massing  about  the 
great  end.  The  color  of  the  markings  is  sepia  or  umber, 
of  different  shades  in  the  buffy-tinged  specimens,  rather 
tending  to  chocolate.  The  shell-markings  are  commonly 
numerous  and  evident. 


HUDSONIAN  CURLEW;  AMERICAN 
WHIMBREL. 

•NUMENIUS     HUDSONICUS    Lath. 

Chars.  With  a  general  resemblance  to  the  foregoing,  this  species 
is  readily  distinguished  by  smaller  size,  shorter  and  less  curved 
bill,  and  less  rufescent  plumage.  Length,  1 6.00-1 8.00;  wing, 
9.00-10.00  ;  tail,  3.50  ;  tarsus,  2.25-2.50  ;  bill,  3.00-4.00.  General 
tone  of  coloration  scarcely  rufous,  the  under  parts,  and  the 
variegation  of  the  upper,  being  whitish  or  ochraceous.  Top  of 
head  uniform  blackish-brown, with  well-defined  median  and  lateral 
pale  stripes.  Upper  parts  brownish-black,  speckled  with 
whitish,  ochraceous  or  pale  cinnamon-brown,  in  same  pattern  as 
in  longirostris,  but  the  dark  in  excess  of  the  light  colors,  and 
these  never  strongly  rufescent.  Tail  ashy-brown  (not  rufous), 
with  numerous  narrow  blackish  bars.  Primaries  fuscous, 
marbled  or  broken-barred  with  pale  color.  Lining  of  wings  and 
axillars  rufescent,  spotted  or  barred  throughout  with  dusky. 
Under  parts  soiled  whitish  or  somewhat  ochraceous,  only 
decidedly  rufescent  on  crissum  if  anywhere ;  the  jugulum  and 


NUMENIUS    BOREALIS  :    ESKIMO    CURLEW.  25! 

fore  breast  with  dusky  streaks  which,  as  in  other  species,  change 
to  arrow-heads  or  incomplete  bars  on  sides  of  breast  and  body. 
Bill  blackish,  some  part  of  lower  mandible  pale. 

A  migratory  species,  occurring  along  the  coast  under 
the  same  circumstances  as  the  last,  but  more  frequently 
observed.  Still  it  cannot  be  considered  a  common  bird, 
and  it  appears  to  be  irregular,  occurring  at  times  in  num- 
bers, and  again  being  seldom  seen.  Of  its  belonging  to 
the  category  of  migrants  there  is  no  question ;  still  it 
has  been  repeatedly  found  in  summer.  Dr.  Merriam 
notices  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  p.  166)  the  occurrence  of  many 
individuals  near  Milford,  Conn.,  in  July ;  of  others 
(p.  109)  during  the  same  month  at  South  Hampton,  Long 
Island  ;  and  others  again  near  Saybrook,  Conn.,  late  in 
August.  Probably,  however,  it  does  not  breed  in  New 
England. 

The  eggs  resemble  those  of  N.  borealis  rather  than  N. 
longirostris,  being  in  fact  difficult  to  distinguish  from 
those  of  the  former.  Coues  gives  the  measurements  as 
from  2.12  to  2.30  in  length,  by  about  1.60  in  breadth. 


ESKIMO  CURLEW  ;   DOUGH-BIRD. 

NUMENIUS  BOREALIS  (Forst.)  Lath. 

Chars.  Of  smallest  size  in  the  genus,  with  shortest,  slenderest  and 
least  curved  bill.  Length,  12.00-15.00:  wing  under  9.00  ;  tail, 
3.00  ;  tarsus,  2.00  or  less  ;  bill,  2.00  or  more,  perhaps  nearer  3.00. 
General  tone  of  plumage  little  rufescent,  the  under  parts,  and 
the  variegation  of  the  upper  parts,  rather  ochraceous  than 
rufous.  Top  of  head  variegated  throughout,  without  median  light 
line,  but  with  well-defined  pale  superciliary  line.  Upper  parts 
brownish-black,  varied  with  ochraceous  or  very  pale  cinnamon- 


252  SCOLOPACID^E  I    SNIPE,    ETC. 

brown,  the  dark  being  in  excess  of  the  light  color,  and  the 
general  effect  as  in  hudsonicus.  Tail  barred  much  as  in  that 
species.  Primaries  and  most  of  the  secondaries  plain  fuscous, 
entirely  lacking  the  variegation  seen  in  the  foregoing  species 
of  the  genus.  Under  parts  ochraceous  or  somewhat  rufescent, 
very  variable  in  tone,  sometimes  quite  whitish  ;  marked  as  in  the 
other  species  with  dusky  arrow-heads,  streaks,  and  bars,  but  these 
more  numerous,  frequently  occupying  all  the  under  parts  except- 
ing the  chin  and  middle  of  belly.  Axillars  and  lining  of  wings 
rufescent,  barred  throughout  with  dusky.  Bill  black,  with  base 
of  lower  mandible  pale  or  yellowish. 

As  Dr.  Coues  remarks,  it  is  singular  that  this  species 
should  not  be  common  in  New  England,  considering  the 
almost  incredible  numbers  that  take  their  departure 
for  the  south  from  Labrador  in  early  autumn :  but 
such,  however,  is  the  case.  The  birds  probably  take 
flight  from  points  further  east,  the  majority  proceeding 
directly  on  their  way  without  visiting  our  shores.  It  is 
more  numerous,  however,  in  fall  than  in  spring,  at  which 
latter  season  it  is  comparatively  seldom  observed.  It 
may  be  seen  sometimes  so  late  as  the  middle  of  October, 
and  is  on  the  whole  the  most  numerous  of  the  three 
species  of  the  genus. 

This  species  breeds  in  great  numbers  in  the  Anderson 
River  region,  usually  making  up  its  nest-complement  of 
four  eggs  by  the  third  week  in  June.  The  nest  is 
generally  in  an  open  plain,  and  is  a  mere  depression  in 
the  ground,  lined  with  a  few  dried  leaves  or  grasses. 
The  eggs  vary  to  the  great  extent  usually  witnessed 
among  Waders.  The  ground  is  olive-drab,  tending 
either  to  green,  gray,  or  brown  in  different  instances. 
The  markings,  always  large,  numerous  and  bold,  are  of 
different  depths  of  dark  chocolate,  bistre,  and  sepia 
brown,  with  the  ordinary  stone-gray  shell  spots.  They 


NUMENIUS    BOREALIS  :   ESKIMO    CURLEW.  253 

always  tend  to  aggregate  at  the  larger  end,  or,  at  least, 
are  more  numerous  on  the  major  half  of  the  egg ; 
though  in  a  few  instances  the  distribution  is  nearly 
uniform.  Occasionally  the  large  end  of  the  egg  is 
almost  completely  occupied  by  confluence  of  very  dark 
markings.  Eggs  vary  from  1.90  X  1.40  to  2. 12  X  1.33, 
averaging  about  2.00  X  1.45. 


254  IBIDIOffi  :    IBISES. 


FAMILY  IBIDID^E:  IBISES. 

GLOSSY  IBIS. 
PLEGADIS  FALCINELLUS  (Lmn.)  Kaup. 

Chars.  Bill  very  long  and  slender,  compressed-cylindric,  curved 
downward,  deeply  grooved  nearly  or  quite  to  the  obtuse  tip  (thus 
closely  resembling  the  bill  of  a  Curlew).  Nostrils  linear,  in  ad- 
vance of  base  of  upper  mandible.  Frontal  feathers  sweeping  with 
convex  outline  across  forehead  near  but  not  quite  at  base  of  bill ; 
lores  broadly  naked,  the  bare  space  embracing  the  eyes  ;  a 
pointed  projection  of  feathers  on  side  of  lower  mandible  ;  another 
median  one  advancing  acutely  on  bare  space  of  the  chin. 
Tibiae  bare  for  a  distance  equal  to  one  half  or  more  of  the  length 
of  tarsus,  which  latter  is  longer  than  the  middle  toe  and  claw ; 
mostly  reticulate,  but  scutellate  in  front.  Lateral  toes  un- 
equal, the  inner  shortest ;  claws  all  long  and  slightly  curved  ; 
inner  edge  of  middle  claw  dilated  and  jagged,  but  not  regularly 
combed  as  in  a  Heron.  Coloration  dark  glossy  green  and 
chestnut  or  mahogany  color.  Length  about  24.00  ;  extent  about 
36.00;  wing,  10.00-11.00;  tail,  4.00;  bill,  4.50-5.50  ;  tibiae  bare 
2.50  ;  tarsus,  3.50. 

Leaving  now  the  Limicoline  or  plover-snipe  group, 
with  the  last  of  the  large  family  Scolopacidce,  we  enter 
upon  quite  a  different  order  of  birds,  —  that  of  the 
Herodiones,  or  Herons  and  their  allies,  among  which 
are  the  Ibises,  constituting  a  family  apart  from  Ardei- 
dce,  or  the  Herons  proper.  Two  species  of  Ibis  have 
occurred  in  New  England  — the  Glossy  and  tl\e  White 
Ibis ;  both,  however,  are  rare  and  casual  visitors. 

In  the  case  of  this  remarkable  visitor  to  our  country 


PLEGADIS    FALCINELLUS  !    GLOSSY    IBIS.  255 

we  wish  to  trace  the  entire  record.  The  Glossy  Ibis 
belongs  more  properly  to  the  old  world  than  to  any  part 
of  America,  and  it  nowhere  appears  to  be  as  abundant 
in  the  United  States  as  is  its  congener,  Plegadis 
guatauna,  in  the  West.  The  notices  of  occurrences 
in  New  England  date  at  least  as  far  back  as  the  time  of 
Nuttall,  who  says  that  "a  specimen  has  occasionally 
been  exposed  for  sale  in  the  market  of  Boston"  (Man. 
Orn.,  ii,  1834,  p.  89),  as  also  cited  by  Peabody,  Rep.  B. 
Mass.,  1839,  p.  365.  But  this  does  not  necessarily  imply 
that  such  birds  were  actually  killed  in  Massachusetts, 
though  warranting  the  probability  that  this  was  actually 
the  case.  The  Rev.  J.  H.  Linsley  speaks  of  five 
specimens  taken  at  Stratford,  Conn.  (Am.  Journ.  Sci., 
xliv,  1843,  p.  266;  cited  by  Merriam,  Rev.  B.  Conn., 
I^77)  P-  IIQ)-  Mr.  Samuel  Cabot,  Jr.,  records  a 
specimen  from  Fresh  Pond,  *  Cambridge,  Mass.,  two 
from  Middleboro,  Mass.,  and  one  from  Middletown, 
Conn.,  all  in  "June,  1850"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  iii,  1850,  pp. 
313,  314).  This  record  is  cited  by  Putnam,  1856, 
Allen,  1864,  Coues,  1868,  and  Maynard,  1870;  and  Mr. 
Purdie  receives  from  F.  C.  Browne,  of  Framingham, 
extracts  from  a  journal  kept  while  he  was  at  Harvard 
College  in  1850.  His  classmate  shot  the  Fresh  Pond 
bird,  with  which  were  two  others  that  got  away. 
This  was  May  ?th  or  8th,  1850  —  not  June,  as  Mr.  Cabot 
has  it.  Under  date  of  May  23,  1850,  Mr.  Browne's 
journal  reads  :  "  Mr.  Thoreau  tells  me  of  a  Glossy  Ibis 
shot  near  the  Concord  river  by  a  Mr.  Melvin."  This 
Concord  river  specimen,  then,  is  one  which  has  not 

*  Mr.  Purdie  informs  Dr.  Coues  that  this  1850  Fresh  Pond 
specimen  is  still  preserved  in  the  rooms  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History. 


256  IBIDID.E  I    IBISES. 

hitherto  been  publicly  recorded.  "  May  25th  :  Calling 
at  Ogden's  (the  taxidermist's)  he  told  me  he  had 
mounted  two  more  Ibises  (since  my  first  one)  which 
came  from  Middleboro."  Thus  we  have  four  birds 
taken,  and  two  others  seen,  in  Eastern  Massachusetts, 
in  May,  1850.  The  Middletown,  Connecticut,  bird  was 
probably  also  shot  during  the  same  month  (May,  1850), 
and  is  very  likely  the  same  one  that  Dr.  Merriam  speaks 
of  in  1877  as  in  the  Museum  of  the  Wesleyan  Univer- 
sity, "taken  about  1855"  by  Dr.  Barratt  (Cabot  says 
Dr.  J.  Barrett). 

Thus  there  must  have  been  a  special  irruption  of 
Glossy  Ibises  in  Southern  New  England  in  May,  1850, 
—  doubtless  many  more  than  we  have  heard  of.  No 
further  record  appears  for  twenty  years,  until  Allen 
adduces  a  specimen  from  Nantucket,  Sept.,  1869,  and 
one  from  New  Hampshire,  October,  1858  (Am.  Nat.,  iii, 
1870,  p.  637).  The  New  Hampshire  instance  is  pre- 
sumably the  same  as  that  cited  by  Maynard  (Nat.  Guide, 
1870,  p  145)  —  Stafford  Ridge,  N.  H.,  and  by  Dr. 
Charles  Palmer  (Am.  Nat.,  v,  1872,  p.  120),  who  says 
the  bird  was  shot  at  Alton,  N.  H. 

In  1878,  Dr.  Brewer,  alluding  to  previous  captures,  as 
above,  adds  the  record  of  a  specimen  purchased  in 
Boston  market,  which  had  been  shot  at  Orleans,  May 
5,  1878  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  151). 

The  same  number  of  the  Bulletin,  next  page  (p.  152) 
gives  a  note,  from  Mr.  Charles  B.  Cory,  of  his  examina- 
tion of  a  fresh  specimen  taken  on  Cape  Cod,  May  4, 
1878.  A  note  from  Mr.  Allen,  upon  information 
furnished  by  Mr.  R.  Deane,  states  that  this  specimen 
was  shot  at  Eastham,  Mass.,  by  Mr.  Augustus  Denton, 
and  adds:  "Mr.  N.  Vickary,  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  writes  me 


EUDOCIMUS    ALDUS  I    WHITE    IBIS. 

that  he  has  in  his  possession  also  a  specimen  of  this 
species  taken  at  East  Orleans,  May  5,  1878.  This, 
with  the  specimens  above  recorded  by  Dr.  Brewer  and 
Mr.  Cory,  makes  three  that  were  taken  at  nearly  the 
same  date  and  near  the  same  locality  on  Cape  Cod, 
during  the  first  week  in  May,  the  present  year"  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  152). 

Referring  to  this  visit  of  May,  1878,  quite  like  that 
which  occurred  in  May,  1850,  Dr.  Brewer  says:  "  Mr. 
Frank  L.  Tileston  informs  me  that  in  the  following 
August  [of  1878],  several  specimens  of  what  were  called 
"black curlews"  were  noticed  on  Prince  Edward's  Island  ; 
one  of  them  was  shot  by  a  gentleman  of  Boston,  but  was 
not  preserved"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  p.  272). 


WHITE  IBIS. 
EUDOCIMUS   ALDUS  (Linn.)    Wagl. 

Chars.  General  characters  of  Plegadis,  but  face  more  denuded,  the 
whole  chin  being  bare  in  the  adult ;  claws  stout,  obtuse,  curved. 
Plumage  not  metallic  ;  entirely  white  in  the  adult,  with  several 
outer  primaries  glossy  black  at  the  ends.  Bare  parts  of  head, 
and  most  of  bill,  with  the  legs,  orange,  red,  or  carmine  ;  bill 
dusky  at  end  ;  iris  blue.  Young  brownish  with  whitish  rump  and 
under  parts  and  gray  tail.  Length,  about  26.00;  wing,  11.50- 
12.50;  tail,  5.00  ;  bill,  5.00-7.00;  tarsus,  3.50;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  2.50. 

.This  is  an  abundant  bird  of  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  States,  rarely  straying  even  to  the  Middle  Districts. 
Two  specimens  are  noted  as  having  been  taken  on  Long 
Island  (Giraud's  B.  L.  L,  1844,  p.  275).  There  is  but  a 
single  authentic  New  England  case  of  the  kind  —  that 


258  IBIDIM:  :  IBISES. 

of  a  specimen  seen  and  thoroughly  identified,  though 
not  secured,  by  Mr.  Geo.  Bird  Grinnell,  near  Milford, 
Conn.,  May  23,  1875.  The  details  of  the  case  are 
given  in  Am.  Nat.,  ix,  1875,  p.  470,  and  again  in  Mer- 
riam's  Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  1 10,  as  follows  :  "Late 
in  the  afternoon  of  May  23  [1875],  I  observed  near  Mil- 
ford,  Conn.,  a  specimen  of  the  Ibis  alba.  I  recognized 
the  bird  as  it  flew  over  me,  and  following  it  to  a  small 
pond  where  it  went  down,  discovered  it  perched  upon  a 
tree  over  the  water.  I  carefully  examined  it  with  a 
good  glass,  at  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards,  and  by  this  means  was  enabled  to  note  every 
detail  of  form  and  color.  It  was  in  full  plumage,  the 
white  being  pure,  and  the  naked  skin  about  the  head 
bright  red.  After  watching  it  a  few  moments  I  tried  to 
approach  it,  but  before  I  came  within  gunshot  it  flew, 
uttering  a  hoarse  cackle  as  it  went  off." 


ARDEA  HERODIAS  I  GREAT  BLUE  HERON. 


FAMILY  ARDEID^E:  HERONS. 

GREAT  BLUE   HERON. 
ARDEA   HERODIAS  Linn. 

Chars.  Of  very  large  size,  and  dark  varied  colors ;  never  white. 
Back  without  peculiar  plumes,  but  scapulars  lengthened  and 
lanceolate  ;  an  occipital  crest,  two  long  filamentous  feathers  of 
which  are  deciduous,  ornamenting  the  bird  only  during  the 
breeding  season.  Bill  yellow,  more  or  less  blackened  on  the  cul- 
men ;  iris  yellow  ;  lores  blue ;  legs  and  feet  blackish,  soles 
yellowish.  Tibiae  and  edge  of  wing  chestnut.  Forehead  and 
middle  of  crown  white  ;  sides  of  head,  and  the  crest,  black. 
Neck  pale  purplish-gray,  with  a  mixed  black,  white,  and  rusty 
throat-line,  yielding  to  white  on  chin  and  cheeks.  General 
color  of  upper  parts  slaty-blue ;  tail  the  same ;  scapular 
feathers  more  pearly-gray ;  wing-feathers  deepening  from  this 
color  to  black  on  the  primaries.  Young  with  colors  less 
pronounced,  etc.  ;  but  the  species  may  always  be  recognized  by  its 
dark  color  and  large  stature.  Length,  42.00-50.00  ;  extent  about 
70.00;  wing,  1 8.00-20.00;  tail,  7.00-8.00;  bill,  4.50-6.25, 
usually  between  5.00  and  6.00 ;  tibiae  bare  3.00-4.00 ;  tarsus 
usually  6.50-7.00. 

This  great  Heron,  commonly  but  wrongly  known 
as  the  "blue  crane,"  is  a  summer  resident  in  *New 
England ;  more  abundant  during  the  migrations,  and 
generally  but  unevenly  distributed  over  the  country, 
according  to  the  nature  of  the  surface.  It  usually 
arrives  early  in  April,  and  departs  in  October,  some 
individuals,  however,  lingering  into  November.  It  is  to 
be  seen  in  its  usual  resorts  singly  or  in  small  flocks,  and 


26O  ARDEID^:  :    HERONS. 


breeds  in  communities,  the  nest  being  placed  in  trees  in 
swampy  localities,  built  chiefly  of  large  sticks.  The 
eggs,  commonly  three  or  four  in  number,  but  often 
more,  are  elliptical  in  shape,  pale  bluish-green  in  color, 
and  measure  about  2.60  X  1.75.  It  is  a  wild  and  wary 
bird,  very  difficult  to  approach  under  ordinary  cir- 
cumstances. 


GREAT  WHITE  HERON,  OR  EGRET. 
HERODIAS   EGRETTA  (Gm.)  Gr. 

Chars.  Of  large  size  ;  color  entirely  white  at  all  ages  and  seasons  ; 
no  crest,  but  back  with  a  magnificent  train  of  fastigiate  feathers 
in  the  breeding  season,  reaching  beyond  the  tail  ;  neck  closely 
feathered.  Bill,  lores  and  eyes  yellow ;  legs  and  feet  black. 
Length,  36.00-42.00  ;  extent  about  55.00  ;  wing,  16.00-17.00  ; 
tail,  5.50-6.50  ;  bill,  4.50-5.00  ;  tarsus  about  6.00 ;  tibiae  bare 
3-50- 

This  very  elegant  bird,  conspicuous  by  reason  of 
its  stature  and  color,  is  of  rare  and  probably  not 
regular  occurrence  so  far  north  as  New  England. 
The  earlier  records,  made  at  a  time  when  precision 
in  the  identification  of  rare  occurrences  was  considered 
of  less  consequence  than  it  is  now  rightly  held  to  be, 
are  too  indefinite  to  be  satisfactory  now.  Thus 
Prof.  Emmons  in  his  catalogue  of  Massachusetts  birds 
(1835)  speaks  of  the  Great  White  Egret  as  a  regular 
visitant,  and  a  breeder.  The  Rev.  W.  B.  O.  Peabody 
also  notices  the  bird  (B.  Mass.,  1839,  p.  363),  on 
authority  of  Audubon  per  Brewer.  These  are  probably 
the  sources  of  Mr.  F.  W.  Putnam's  remark,  that  the 
bird  occurs  in  Essex  County,  Mass.,  as  a  very  rare 
spring  visitor  (Pr.  Essex  Inst,  i,  1856,  p.  218). 


HERODIAS    EGRETTA  :    GREAT    WHITE    HERON.         26 1 

Later  and  definite  records  are  the  following  for 
Massachusetts:  One  at  Springfield,  prior  to  1864,  and 
one  at  West  Brookfield,  in  1860;  Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst., 
iv,  1864,  p.  76.  Two  taken  at  Hudson,  by  Mr.  S. 
Jillson,  and  others  seen,  in  1867;  one  at  Ashland,  Mr. 
A.  L.  Babcock,  May,  several  years  before ;  one  near 
Lynn,  Mr.  N.  Vickary ;  Allen,  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870, 
p.  637.  (See  also  Maynard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  143.) 

Mr.  Purdie  records  a  specimen  from  Westford,  Mass., 
Am.  Nat.,  vii,  1873,  p.  693  ;  and  the  same  gentleman 
informs  us  of  a  MS.  note  he  has  of  a  bird  shot  at 
Plymouth,  Mass.,  Apr.  18,  1875. 

For  Maine  we  have  one  record,  given  by  Mr.  N.  C. 
Brown,  in  Rod  and  Gun,  vi,  1875,  p.  81  ;  Scarboro', 
April,  1875. 

The  Connecticut  record  has  been  given  by  Dr.  Mer- 
riam  in  the  following  terms  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877, 
p.  in):  —  "A  rare  visitor  from  the  South.  Several 
specimens  have  been  taken  in  Massachusetts,  and  I 
have  myself  seen  it  at  the  '  Ox  Bow '  in  Connecticut. 
A  specimen  was  shot  near  Middletown,  Conn.,  some 
years  ago,  and  is  now  in  the  Museum  of  the  Wesleyan 
University.  Mr.  Grinnell  has  seen  it  on  the  marshes 
near  Milford,  Conn.,  in  September.  Dr.  Wood  tells  me 
that,  several  years  ago,  one  spent  a  week  on  a  marsh 
near  East  Windsor  Hill,  Conn.  Mr.  Fred.  Sumner 
Smith  tells  me  that  he  saw  a  pair  of  these  birds  at 
Lake  Saltonstall  (near  New  Haven),  Conn.,  during  the 
latter  part  of  July,  1876,  and  two  weeks  later,  at  the 
same  place,  saw  no  less  than  seven  individuals  feeding 
together.  They  were  exceedingly  shy  and  he  could  not 
approach  within  gunshot." 


262  ARDEIM:  :  HERONS. 

Mr.  R.  Deane  notes  a  Grand  Menan  case,  —  bird  shot 
Aug.,  1879  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  1880,  p.  63). 

Notwithstanding  these  summer  occurrences,  the 
natural  breeding  of  the  Egret  in  New  England  remains 
to  be  attested. 

As  to  occurrences  of  this  Egret  beyond  us,  may  be 
here  noted  the  specimen  examined  by  Mr.  C.  J.  May- 
nard,  shot  at  Grand  Menan,  New  Brunswick,  November 
3,  1878,  as  recorded  by  Mr.  Ruthven  Deane  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  63),  wno  a^so  notices  in  the  same 
place  a  Nova  Scotian  instance  given  by  Mr.  J.  Matthew 
Jones  of  Halifax  (Trans.  Nova  Scotia  Inst.  Nat.  Sci.,  ii, 
1868,  p.  72). 


SMALL  WHITE   HERON,  OR  EGRET. 
GARZETTA  CANDIDISSIMA  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Like  the  last  in  being  entirely  white  at  all  seasons  and 
ages,  but  much  smaller.  An  occipital  crest,  a  recurved  dorsal 
train,  and  lengthened  feathers  of  the  lower  neck,  in  the  breeding 
season.  Lores,  eyes  and  toes  yellow  ;  bill  and  legs  black,  former 
yellow  at  base,  latter  yellow  at  lower  part  behind.  Length  about 
24.00;  extent,  36.00-40.00;  wing,  9.50-11.00;  tail,  4.00;  bill, 
3.00  or  more  ;  tarsus,  3.75  ;  tibiae  bare  2.50. 

This  is  another  of  New  England's  rarities,  occurring 
under  nearly  the  same  conditions  as  the  Great  White 
Egret,  though  more  seldom.  There  are  early  Massachu- 
setts records,  as  in  the  other  case,  but  all  of  them 
"  shaky,"  as  is  probably  also  Mr.  Putnam's  notice  of 
1856.  In  1864,  Allen  adduces  an  instance  of  the  oc- 
currence of  the  bird  near  Boston,  in  1862,  and  says  for 
Massachusetts  that  "  stragglers  have  been  taken  in  a  few 


FLORIDA    CCERULEA  :    LITTLE    BLUE    HERON.         263 

instances  "  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iv,  1864,  p.  86.  See  also 
Maynard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  143).  For  Connecticut, 
Dr.  Merriam  says  in  general  terms  "a  raie  accidental 
visitor  from  the  south  ; "  refers  to  Stratford,  Conn.,  on 
the  authority  of  Linsley,  and  adds  that  "  Dr.  Crary 
says  he  has  taken  it  near  Hartford,  Conn.,"  but  gives 
no  specific  case  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  ill). 

Mr.  Purdie  contributes  an  interesting  note  of  the 
occurrence  of  the  Little  White  Egret  in  Nantucket, 
Mass.,  at  an  unexpected  time  of  the  year  —  in  March, 
1882  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  251). 

The    species   is   given    as    having  occurred  in  Nova 
Scotia,  by  Jones  (Trans.  N.  S.  Inst.  Nat.  Sci.   ii.  1868 
p.  72). 

Its  capture  on  Long  Island,  Aug.  4,  1881,  at  Great 
South  Bay,  is  recorded  by  Louis  A.  Zerega  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  vi,  1 88 1,  p.  248). 

LITTLE  BLUE  HERON. 

FLORIDA   CCERULEA  (Linn.}  Bd. 

Chars.  Dichromatic ;  i.  e.,  either  white  or  colored.  In  the 
colored  phase,  dark  grayish-blue,  becoming  purplish  or  maroon- 
colored  on  the  neck  and  head.  Loral  space  and  bill  blue,  latter 
blackening  toward  the  end  ;  eyes  yellow.  The  white  birds  are 
liable  to  be  confounded  with  Garzetta  candidissima  ;  notice 
lores  and  basal  half  of  bill  greenish-blue,  the  rest  blackish  ; 
most  of  lower  mandible  yellowish ;  legs  greenish-blue,  with 
yellow  traces,  or  bluish-black.  Size  of  the  little  White  Egret. 

A  rare  and  casual  visitor  from  the  South,  like  the  last 
species.  The  name  appears  in  nearly  or  quite  all  the 
New  England  lists,  as  far  back  at  least  as  the  time 
of  Linsley,  who  took  the  bird  at  Stratford,  Conn.  Mr. 


264  ARDEID^E  :    HERONS. 

E.  A.  Samuels  notes  a  definite  case  from  Barnstable, 
spring  of  1861  (Orn.  and  Ool.  N.  E.,  1867,  App.).  Mr. 
Allen  has  noted  its  occurrence  in  Massachusetts. 
There  are  several  late  authentic  Connecticut  records. 
According  to  Merriam,  "  Mr.  Dayan  saw  a  small  Heron 
on  Lake  Whitney,  in  April,  1877,  which  he  supposes  to 
have  been  this  species.  In  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  Coe,  of 
Portland,  Conn.,  is  a  beautiful  specimen  of  this  species 
which  he  shot  in  that  vicinity  early  in  July,  1875.  .  .  . 
There  were  two  of  them  together,  but  the  other  escaped. 
Mr.  Erwin  I.  Shores,  of  Suffield,  Conn.,  writes  me  that 
one  was  shot  there  about  the  middle  of  May  by  Mr. 
Chas.  Newton"  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  in). 

Dr.  Brewer  records  that  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History  has  an  example  of  this  species,  in 
immature  plumage,  shot  at  Cohasset,  about  1869,  by 
Mr.  Henry  D.  Morse  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P-  272)- 

The  species  has  recently  been  added  to  the  Avifauna 
of  Maine,  by  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown,  who  notes  a  specimen 
captured  on  the  Scarborough  Marsh  in  Sept.,  1881,  by 
Mr.  Winslow  Pilsbury  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882, 
P-  123). 


GREEN  HERON. 

BUTORIDES   VIRESCENS  (Linn.}  Cab. 

Chars.  Of  smallest  size  in  the  family  (excepting  the  Least  Bittern). 
Adult  in  breeding  season  with  the  crown  and  occipital  crest  and 
lengthened  narrow  feathers  of  back  glossy  green,  sometimes  with 
a  bronzy  iridescence,  the  dorsal  plumes  in  high  plumage  with  a 
glaucous  bluish  cast.  Wing-coverts  green,  with  tawny  edgings ; 
neck  purplish-chestnut,  the  throat  line  varied  with  dusky  and 
white.  Under  parts  mostly  dark  brownish-ash ;  belly  variegated 


NYCTIARDEA    GRISEA    N^VIA  I    NIGHT    HERON.       265 

with  white.  Quills  and  tail-feathers  greenish-dusky,  with  a 
glaucous  bloom  ;  edge  of  wing  white,  and  usually  some  of  the 
quills  white-tipped.  Lores  and  iris  yellow  ;  bill  greenish-black, 
much  of  the  under  mandible  yellow  ;  legs  greenish-yellow. 
Length,  16.00-18.00  ;  extent  about  25.00  ;  wing,  6.50-7.50  ;  bill, 
2.50 ;  tarsus,  2.00 ;  middle  toe  and  claw  about  the  same ;  tibiae 
bare  i.oo  or  less. 

A  common  summer  resident,  arriving  during  the 
middle  or  latter  part  of  April,  and  remaining  until  or 
into  October.  It  is  generally  distributed  in  suitable 
places, — those  which  are  watery  enough  to  yield  proper 
food,  and  sufficiently  well-wooded  to  afford  the  privacy 
and  shelter  which  Herons  require.  The  nest  is  con- 
structed in  May ;  it  is  a  rude  platform  of  loosely  arrayed 
twigs,  placed  upon  some  bush  or  wide  spreading  tree  not 
far  from  the  water.  The  usual  altitude  is  10  to  30 
feet  from  the  ground  ;  an  apple-tree  is  sometimes 
selected.  The  eggs,  usually  five  or  six  in  number,  are 
pale  greenish-blue,  like  those  of  other  Herons,  rather 
elliptical  than  ovoidal  in  shape,  measuring  about  1.50  X 
1. 1 8.  A  correspondent  and  friendly  critic,  who  helps 
me  to  revise  these  proofs,  remarks,  that  this  biography  is 
"  as  thin  as  the  bird  itself."  But  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  economize  space,  and  I  generally  prefer  to  be 
brief  in  the  cases  of  the  best-known  birds. 


NIGHT  HERON  ;  QUA-BIRD  ;  SQUAWK. 
NYCTIARDEA  GRISEA  N^VIA   (Bodd.)  Allen. 

Chars  Of  medium  size,  with  short  legs  and  very  stout  bill,  about 
as  long  as  tarsus  or  middle  toe  and  claw.  No  peculiar  plumes, 
except  two  or  three  extremely  long  slender  feathers  springing  in  a 


266  ARDEID.E  *.    HERONS. 

bundle  from  the  hind  head.  Crown,  scapulars  and  interscapu- 
lars  dark  glossy-green  ;  other  upper  parts  bluish-gray  with  a 
lilac  or  lavender  shade,  most  decided  on  the  neck.  Forehead 
and  throat-line  white,  as  are  the  long  occipital  plumes.  Under 
parts  whitish,  tinged  with  lilac.  Eyes  red  ;  lores  greenish  ;  bill 
black  ;  legs  yellow.  Length  about  24.00 ;  extent  about  44.00 ; 
wing,  12.00-14.00;  tail,  5.00;  bill,  tarsus,  and  middle  toe  with 
claw,  each,  3.00.  Young  very  different,  being  grayish-brown 
above,  the  feathers  paler  edged,  conspicuously  spotted  with 
•white  ;  the  lower  parts  paler  or  dull  whitish,  streaky  with  darker 
color ;  quills  chocolate-brown,  white-tipped  ;  no  crest. 

This  is  another  common  summer  resident  of  New 
England,  on  the  whole  our  best  known  representative  of 
the  family  Ardeidce — not  only  on  account  of  the  num- 
bers which  pass  the  season  with  us,  but  of  their  general 
distribution  throughout  our  country  in  suitable  places, 
and  their  colonization  by  hundreds  or  even  thousands  to 
breed  in  extensive  heronries.  At  such  places,  hun- 
dreds of  nests  may  be  seen,  sometimes  several  in  the 
same  tree,  —  even  so  many  as  ten  or  a  dozen ;  —  the 
trees  seeming  as  if  whitewashed  with  the  incessant 
droppings,  and  the  vegetation  beneath  them  being 
entirely  killed  by  such  excessive  manuring.  Numerous 
colonies  have  been  discovered  and  explored  by  enthusi- 
astic ornithologists,  particularly  in  southern  New  Eng- 
land. Tall  trees  are  usually  selected  for  the  nesting 
sites,  and  access  to  the  nests  is  not  always  easy.  They 
are  bulky  platforms  of  twigs,  visible  at  long  distances  on 
the  boughs  of  the  trees,  which  are  whitened  and  more  or 
less  bared  by  their  numerous  untidy  tenants.  The  eggs 
are  usually  four  to  six  in  number ;  but  their  variability 
in  this  respect,  and  the  fact  that  the  same  nest  may 
contain  fresh  and  incubated  eggs  and  hatched  young 
together,  makes  it  probable  that  the  birds  carry  their 


N.    VIOLACEUS  I   YELLOW-CROWNED    NIGHT    HERON.       267 

communism  to  the  extent  of  using  each  other's  nests 
in  some  cases.  The  eggs  resemble  those  of  other 
Herons  in  shape  and  color,  and  they  measure  on  an 
average  2.10  X  1.45  ;  but  they  are  quite  variable  in 
dimensions. 

Though  properly  a  summer  resident,  the  Night  Heron 
is  occasionally  found  with  us  all  the  year  round.  Ac- 
cording to  the  "  Oologist,"  (v,  1880,  p.  84)  individuals 
have  been  seen  on  Shelter  Island,  Conn.,  in  January 
and  February,  1870,  and  January  28,  1881  ;  as  well  as  in 
February,  1880,  at  Norwich,  Conn,  (ibid.,  p.  78).  Mr. 
C.  J.  Maynard,  in  giving  a  good  account  of  this  species, 
speaks  of  its  occurrence  all  winter  in  Massachusetts 
(Birds  Eastern  N.  Am.,  1881,  p.  418). 


YELLOW-CROWNED  NIGHT  HERON. 
NYCTERODIUS  VIOLACEUS  (Linn.)  Reich. 

Chars.  Bill  extremely  stout,  shorter  than  tarsus  ;  culmen  and 
gonys  t?oth  much  curved  ;  tarsus  longer  than  middle  toe  and 
claw,  reticulate  excepting  above  in  front.  Occiput  in  the  breed- 
ing season  with  a  dependent  crest.  General  color  light  grayish- 
blue,  darker  on  back,  where  the  feathers  have  black  centres  and 
pale  edges,  and  paler  on  under  parts.  Head  and  upper  neck 
behind,  with  cheek  patches,  the  crown,  and  most  of  the  crest, 
white,  more  or  less  tinged  with  buff.  Bill  black  ;  eyes  orange  ; 
lores  greenish;  bill  and  feet  black  and  yellow.  Length  about 
24.00  ;  extent,  44.00  ;  wing,  12.00  ;  tail,  5.00  ;  bill  scarcely  3.00, 
over  0.50  deep  at  base  ;  tibiae  bare  2.00  ;  tarsus,  4.00  ;  middle  toe 
and  claw,  2,75.  Young  quite  different,  but  readily  known  by  the 
stout  bill  and  other  characters. 

A  rare  and  casual  visitor  from  the  South.     We  have 
information  of  only  two  instances   in  which   the  bird 


268  ARDEID^:  :    HERONS. 

has  thus  far  been  found  in  'New  England.  One  of 
these  is  that  recorded  by  Mr.  Allen,  Lynn,  Mass. 
October,  1862  (Amer.  Nat,  iii,  1870,  p.  637).  This  is 
believed  to  be  the  first  authentic  New  England  record. 
The  second  case  known  to  us  is  that  of  a  young  bird 
taken  at  Somerville,  Mass.,  July  30,  1878,  as  recorded  by 
Mr.  Brewster  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  124),  and 
by  Dr.  Brewer  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P-  2Z2)-  Mr. 
Brewster's  interesting  note  is  transcribed  in  full,  with  our 
usual  generosity  toward  those  who  are  unwise  or  unfor- 
tunate enough  not  to  take  the  Nuttall  Bulletin  —  a  work 
which,  by  the  way,  gives  more  important  information 
respecting  the  birds  of  North  America  than  any  other 
equal  number  of  pages  of  print  which  have  appeared  in 
this  country  since  1876  :  "  On  the  afternoon  of  July  30, 
1878,  Mr.  George  Cunningham  —  who  resides  in  a 
rather  densely  populated  part  of  Somerville,  just  beyond 
the  line  separating  that  city  from  Cambridge,  was 
attracted  by  a  commotion  among  the  Robins  and  other 
small  birds  in  the  orchard  behind  the  house.  Upon 
investigating  the  cause  of  this  unusual  excitement,  a 
large  bird  was  seen  to  take  flight  and  disappear  over  an 
adjoining  fence.  Shortly  after  this  there  was  another 
alarm  from  the  orchard,  and  it  was  found  that  the 
strange  intruder  had  returned.  A  neighbor,  who  is 
fond  of  shooting,  was  called  in,  the  bird  winged,  and 
after  a  sharp  chase  overtaken.  It  showed  plenty  of 
fight,  and,  to  use  the  words  of  its  captor,  '  chattered  very 
like  a  monkey.'  .  .  .  The  specimen  is  in  the  spotted 
immature  plumage,  and  is  apparently  very  young,  inas- 
much as  many  of  its  feathers  still  retain  the  peculiar 
hair-like  filaments  which  characterize  the  downy  stage  of 
Herons,  and  which  are  pushed  outward  on  the  tip  of  the 


BOTAURUS   MUGITANS  :    AMERICAN    BITTERN.         269 

feathers  that  succeed.  This  fact,  taken  in  connection 
with  the  date  of  capture,  is  certainly  suggestive  of  a  not 
very  remote  breeding-place,  though  the  bird  was  perhaps 
old  enough  to  have  flown  northward  from  the  Carolinas, 
its  nearest  known  breeding-ground."  Young  Herons, 
we  may  add,  have  a  way  of  wandering  aimlessly  about 
during  the  latter  part  of  summer,  before  they  are  old 
enough  to  have  sense  enough  not  to  go  where  there  are 
Nuttall  Bulletinians  about. 


AMERICAN    BITTERN. 
BOTAURUS  MUGITANS  (Bartr.}  Cones. 

Chars.  Tail  of  only  ten  feathers  (twelve  in  all  the  foregoing 
Herons).  Size  medium.  Bill  shorter  than  tarsus,  which  is 
shorter  than  middle  toe  and  claw,  and  broadly  scutellate  in  front. 
No  peculiar  plumes.  General  plumage  of  the  upper  parts 
singularly  freckled  with  brown,  black,  tawny,  and  whitish  ;  neck 
and  under  parts  ochrey  or  tawny  whitish,  each  feather  marked 
with  a  brown  dark-edged  stripe,  the  throat-line  white,  with  brown 
streaks  ;  a  patch  of  velvety  black  on  each  side  of  neck  above. 
Iris  yellow  ;  bill  on  edge  blackish,  the  rest  pale  yellowish  ;  legs 
yellowish-green.  Length,  23.00-34.00  !  extent,  32.00-45.00 ! 
wing,  9.50-13.00  ;  bill  about  3.00  ;  tarsus  about  3  50  ;  middle  toe 
about  the  same. 

A  common  summer  resident,  usually  arriving  during 
the  middle  or  latter  part  of  April,  and  remaining  until 
November.  Being  one  of  the  hardiest  as  well  as  one  of 
the  most  erratic  of  the  family  Ardeidcz,  the  Bittern  is 
doubtless  to  be  sometimes  seen  in  New  England  in 
winter,  though  we  have  not  laid  hands  upon  any  positive 
record  to  that  effect.  It  is  a  bird  of  the  bog  and  reedy 


2/O 


ARDEID.E  :    HERONS. 


marsh  rather  than  of  such  woody  swamps  as  most 
Herons  affect,  and  differs  from  any  of  the  foregoing  in 
nesting  upon  the  ground,  as  well  as  in  the  character  of 
its  eggs.  Mr.  Endicott  remarks  very  pointedly  upon 
the  general  uncertainty  that  pervades  ornithological 
writings  respecting  the  color  of  the  Bittern's  eggs, 
"  finding  the  enumerated  authorities  determined  that  the 
eggs  should  have  green  on  them  of  some  shade  or 
other."  He  calls  them  "a  dark  drab  ;"  Mr.  Samuels 
says  "a  rich  drab,  with  sometimes  an  olive  tinge." 


FIG.  57.  — BILL  OF  BOTAURUS  MUGITANS.    Natural  size. 


The  color  of  the  several  sets  before  me  may  be  called 
a  brownish-drab,  with  a  shade  of  gray.  It  is  a  difficult 
color  to  name,  and  doubtless  varies  in  tint  in  different 
specimens  ;  but  it  is  probably  never  anything  like  the 
clear,  pale  greenish  of  the  eggs  of  ordinary  Herons. 
Specimens  measure  1.90  X  1.50,  to  2.00  X  1.50;  the 
nest-complement  is  three  to  five. 

The  Bittern  also  differs  from  most  Herons  in  being 
"  wild,  shy,  and  solitary."  We  oftener  start  one  from  his 
lonely  vigils  in  the  bog,  than  find  several,  or  even  a  pair 
together,  excepting  in  the  breeding  season.  No  doubt 
he  enjoys  life  after  his  own  fashion,  but  his  notions 


BOTAURUS    MUGITANS  :    AMERICAN    BITTERN.         271 

of  happiness  are  peculiar.  He  prefers  solitude,  and 
leads  the  eccentric  life  of  a  recluse,  "  forgetting  the 
world,  and  by  the  world  forgot."  To  see  him  at  his 
ordinary  occupation,  one  might  fancy  him  shouldering 
some  heavy  responsibility,  oppressed  with  a  secret, 
or  laboring  in  the  solution  of  a  problem  of  vital  con- 
sequence. He  stands  motionless,  with  his  head  drawn 
in  upon  his  shoulders,  and  half-closed  eyes,  in  profound 


FIG.  58.  —  BITTERN. 

meditation,  or  steps  about  in  a  devious  way,  with  an 
absent-minded  air ;  for  greater  seclusion,  he  will  even 
hide  in  a  thick  brush-clump  for  hours  together.  Startled 
in  his  retreat  whilst  his  thinking-cap  is  on,  he  seems 
dazed,  like  one  suddenly  aroused  from  a  deep  sleep ;  but 
as  soon  as  he  collects  his  wits,  remembering  un- 
pleasantly that  the  outside  world  exists,  he  shows  com- 
mon sense  enough  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  from  a  scene 
of  altogether  too  much  action  for  him.  Some  such 
traits  have  doubtless  led  to  the  belief  that  he  is  chiefly 


2/2  ARDEID^E  :    HERONS. 

a  nocturnal  bird;  but  such  is  not  the  case.  He  may 
migrate  by  night,  but  so  does  the  Killdeer,  and  the  Bob- 
olink, and  many  other  birds  not  in  the  least  nocturnal. 
Nor  is  the  Bittern  either  lazy  or  stupid,  as  some  may 
suppose.  He  is  simply  what  we  call  a  shady  character 
—  one  of  those  non-committal  creatures  whom  we  may 
invest,  if  we  please,  with  various  attributes,  and  perhaps 
consider  very  deep,  without  sufficient  reason ;  the  fact 
being,  that  we  make  the  mystery  about  him.  There  is 
nothing  remarkable  in  the  fact  that  he  prefers  his  own 
company,  and  dislikes  to  be  bored.  He  lives  in  the 
bog,  where  he  finds  plenty  to  eat  that  he  likes  best,  and 
is  satisfied  to  be  simply  let  alone. 

When  the  Bittern  is  disturbed  at  his  meditation,  he 
gives  a  vigorous  spring,  croaks  at  the  moment  in  a  man- 
ner highly  expressive  of  his  disgust,  and  flies  off  as  fast 
as  he  can,  though  in  rather  a  loose,  lumbering  way. 
For  some  distance  he  flaps  heavily  with  dangling  legs 
and  outstretched  neck ;  but  when  settled  on  his  course 
he  proceeds  more  smoothly,  with  regular  measured  wing- 
beats,  the  head  drawn  in  closely  and  the  legs  stretched 
straight  out  behind  together,  like  a  rudder.  He  is  very 
easily  shot  on  the  wing  —  easily  hit,  and  dropping  at 
a  touch  even  of  fine  shot.  When  winged,  he  croaks 
painfully  as  he  drops,  and  no  sooner  does  he  touch  the 
ground  than  he  gathers  himself  in  defensive  attitude  to 
resent  aggression  as  best  he  can.  He  fights  well,  and 
with  more  spirit  and  determination  than  he  might 
be  expected  to  show  —  like  many  other  quiet,  inoffensive 
creatures  when  quite  sure  they  have  a  grievance  and  are 
pushed  to  desperation.  He  has  a  very  ugly  way  of  point- 
ing his  resistance  with  quick  thrusts  of  his  spear-like  bill, 
capable  of  inflicting  no  slight  wound  on  an  incautious 


ARDETTA    EXILIS  :    LEAST    BITTERN. 

hand.  But  it  avails  little ;  a  kick  from  a  cowhide  boot, 
or  a  thump  with  the  butt  of  a  gun,  generally  decides  the 
unequal  contest. 

The  food  of  this  bird  consists  of  various  kinds  of 
small  aquatic  animals.  In  its  stomach  may  be  found 
different  molluscs,  crawfish,  frogs,  lizards,  small  snakes 
and  fishes,  as  well  as  insects.  Such  prey  is  captured 
with  great  address,  by  spearing,  as  the  bird  walks  or 
wades  stealthily  along,  the  thrust  of  the  bill  being  mar- 
vellously quick  and  skilful. 


LEAST  BITTERN. 

ARDETTA  EXILIS    (Gm.)  Gr. 

Chars.  Smallest  of  the  whole  family  ;  in  form,  nearly  like  the  com- 
mon Bittern,  having  also  only  10  tail-feathers.  Adult  male : 
Crown,  back  and  tail  glossy  greenish-black  ;  neck  behind,  most 
of  the  wing-coverts,  and  outer  edges  of  inner  quills,  chestnut ; 
other  wing-coverts  brownish-yellow,  like  the  front  and  the  sides 
of  the  neck  and  inner  parts  generally ;  the  throat-line  varied  with 
white,  and  sides  of  the  breast  with  a  brownish-black  patch. 
Female  with  the  black  of  the  back  entirely,  that  of  the  crown 
mostly,  replaced  by  purplish-chestnut ;  edges  of  the  scapulars 
forming  a  brownish-white  stripe  on  each  side.  Bill  mostly  pale 
yellow,  culmen  blackish ;  lores  light  green ;  'eyes  and  toes 
yellow ;  legs  green,  the  hinder  scales  yellow.  Length  about 
12.50  ;  extent  about  18.00  ;  wing,  4.00-5.00  ;  tail,  bill,  tarsus,  mid- 
dle toe  and  claw,  each,  2.00  cr  less. 

This  queer  little  Heron,  which  looks  as  if  might  have 
been  a  cross  between  a  Bittern  and  a  Rail,  is  a  regular 
though  not  abundant  summer  resident  in  southern  New 
England.  It  is  hardly  a  bird  of  the  Canadian  Fauna, 
belonging  rather  to  the  Carolinian,  and  also  being  not 


274  ARDEID^E  :    HERONS. 

rare  in  the  Alleghanian.  The  older  New  England  lists 
usually  present  it  as  a  rare  bird,  and  so  it  is  ordinarily 
taken  to  be ;  but,  however  the  case  may  formerly  have 
been,  the  bird  is  certainly  no  rarity  now  in  the  Alle- 
ghanian Fauna.  Prof.  Verrill's  list  notes  its  presence 
in  Southern  Maine  (Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iii,  1862,  p.  157),  and 
it  has  lately  been  traced  to  New  Brunswick  (Chamberlain, 
Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  105),  five  individuals 
having  been  taken  between  the  spring  of  1877  and  the 
fall  of  1880  on  the  Bay  of  Fundy  shore,  about  ten  miles 
east  of  St.  John.  (See  Orn.  and  Ool.,  vii,  1882,  p.  no.) 

The  manner  of  the  bird's  presence  in  Connecticut  has 
been  carefully  noted  by  Dr.  Merriam,  who  says  that 
"  the  Least  Bittern  seems  to  be  at  present  a  pretty 
regular  summer  resident,  though  formerly  regarded  as 
an  accidental  visitor.  Linsley  gave  it  from  Northford, 
Conn.,  without  comment.  It  has  certainly  bred  here 
for  several  years  past,  and  on  June  27,  1876,  Mr. 
Nichols  found  its  nest  at  Bradford,  Conn.,  containing 
one  fresh  egg.  Have  seen  it  in  September.  They  were 
particularly  abundant  throughout  the  State  during  the 
season  of  1875.  Mr.  W.  W.  Coe,  who  has  seven  beauti- 
ful specimens  in  his  cabinet,  showed  me  five  eggs  which 
he  took  from  a  nest  at  Portland,  Conn.,  June  14,  1873, 
and  says  that  they  breed  regularly  in  that  vicinity. 
Mr.  Geo.  Bird  Grinnell  also  tells  me  that  he  takes  two 
or  three  every  year  (generally  in  August  or  September). 
They  follow  up  the  Connecticut  Valley  to  Massachu- 
setts." (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  113.) 

The  Least  Bittern  has  even  been  found  with  us  in 
winter.  Mr.  Jencks  adduces  such  an  instance,  one 
having  been  known  in  Rhode  Island,  Feb.  28,  1881  (Orn. 
and  Ool.,  vi,  1881,  p.  6). 


ARDETTA    EXILIS  I    LEAST    BITTERN. 

Its  breeding  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island  is 
noted  in  the  same  periodical,  vi,  1881,  p.  8,  andv,  1880, 
p.  78.  According  to  Mr.  Samuels  it  has  been  found  to 
breed  in  all  the  New  England  States  (Orn.  and  Ool.  of 
N.  E.,  1867,  p.  403).  But  we  think  the  bird  must  be 
scarce  north  of  Massachusetts.  Coues  gives  the  eggs  as 
"  three  to  five  "  in  number  ;  the  full  set  appears  to  be  five. 
They  are  white  with  a  faint  bluish  tint,  elliptical  or  equal- 
ended  in  shape,  and  measure  from  1.20  to  1.25  in  length 
by  0.90  to  0.95  in  breadth,  being  thus  not  dissimilar  to 
Pigeons'  eggs  in  general  aspect.  Several  sets  have  been 
taken  in  Massachusetts. 

Mr.  Brewster  has  noted  the  curious  fact  that  upon 
examining  the  stomach  of  a  Least  Bittern  shot  at  Bel- 
mont,  Mass.,  May  u,  1876,  he  found  that  organ  fairly 
crammed  with  white,  clean  cotton  wool,  the  greater 
portion  of  which  had  been  swallowed  in  one  lump, 
though  there  were  several  smaller  flakes,  and  among 
these  some  slender  white  worms  —  notwithstanding  all 
which,  the  bird  seemed  to  be  in  good  health  and  spirits 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  76). 


2/6  GRUID^E  :    CRANES. 


FAMILY  GRUID^:  CRANES. 

GREAT  WHITE,  OR  WHOOPING  CRANE. 
GRUS  AMERICANA    (L.)  Temm. 

Chars.  Of  great  stature,  and  the  adult  with  the  plumage  pure  white, 
with  black  primaries,  primary  coverts  and  alula  ;  bill  dusky 
greenish  ;  legs  black  ;  bald  part  of  head  red,  the  sparse  hair-like 
feathers  black.  Length  about  50.00  ;  extent,  90.00  ;  wing,  24.00 ; 
tail,  9.00  ;  tarsus,  12.00  ;  middle  toe,  5.00  ;  bill,  6.00. 

Cranes  are  birds  of  great  size,  standing  especially 
high  on  the  legs.  The  general  build  is  something  like 
that  of  Herons,  with  which  they  are  generally  associ- 
ated in  the  popular  mind  ;  but  they  belong  to  a  different 
order,  Alcctorides,  their  true  relationships  being  with  the 
Rails,  Gallinules  and  Coots,  not  with  the  Herons,  Ibises 
and  Storks. 

There  are  three  North  American  species,  two  of 
which  have  been  found  in  New  England. 

In  his  interesting  article  on  the  "  Decrease  of  Birds  in 
Massachusetts"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  pp.  53,  58), 
New  England's  greatest  ornithologist,  Allen,  speaks 
of  the  Brown  or  Sandhill  Crane,  and  perhaps  the  White 
or  Whooping  Crane,  as  having  formerly  inhabited  Mass- 
achusetts, though  extirpated  at  so  early  a  date  that  they 
had  not  been  previously  recognized  as  belonging  to  the 
fauna  of  that  State. 

"  In  all  the  early  notices  of  the  natural  productions  of 
New  England,  the  Crane  is  mentioned  among  the  few 
birds  usually  enumerated.  Emmons  [1833]  gives  the 


GRUS    AMERICANA  I    WHOOPING    CRANE.  277 

Whooping  Crane  (Grits  americana)  in  his  list  of  the 
birds  of  Massachusetts,  but  subsequent  authors  have 
generally  believed  without  due  authority,  and  of  late  it 
has  been  wholly  lost  sight  of  as  a  bird  of  the  State. 
That  some  species  of  Crane,  and  in  all  probability  both 
species,  was  common  in  New  England  in  early  times  is 
beyond  question.  Both  the  Sandhill  and  the  Whooping 
Cranes  have  still  a  wide  range  in  the  interior,  passing 
northward  in  summer  far  beyond  New  England. 
Neither  species  has  of  late  been  met  with  north  of  New 
Jersey,  where  the  Whooping  Crane  occurs  only  as  a 
rare  casual  visitor.  Morton  wrote,  of  '  Cranes,  there  are 
greate  store,  that  ever  more  came  there  at  S.  Davids 
day,  and  not  before  ;  that  day  they  would  never  misse. 
These  doe  sometimes  eate  our  corne,  and  do  pay  for 
their  presumption  well  enough  ;  and  serveth  there  in 
powther,  with  turnips  to  supply  the  place  of  powthered 
beefe,  and  is  a  goodly  bird  in  a  dishe,  and  no  discom- 
modity.' *  This  shows  that  the  Crane,  and  not  a 
Heron,  is  the  bird  to  which  reference  is  made." 

In  1842,  Zadock  Thompson  still  speaks  of  the  Whoop- 
ing Crane  as  "  occasionally  seen  during  its  migrations  " 
in  Vermont  (Hist.  Vermont,  1842,  p.  103). 


BROWN,  OR  SAND-HILL  CRANE. 

GRUS  PRATENSIS  Bartr. 

Chars.     Smaller  than  the  last,  and  in  adult  plumage  plumbeous-gray, 
never  whitening  ;  primaries,  their  coverts,  and  the  alula,  ashy- 

*  New    English    Canaan.       Printed   by   Charles    Greene,  1632. 
Reprinted  in  Force's  Historical  Tracts,  vol.  ii,  tract  5,  pp.  47,  48. 


278  GRUIDjE  :    CRANES. 

brown,  little  darker  than  the  general  plumage  ;  shafts  of  primaries 
white.  Wing  about  22.00  ;  tail,  9.00  ;  tarsus,  9.50-10.00 ;  bill 
along  culmen  5.00-6.00  ;  middle  toe  3.50-4.00. 

Our  remarks  upon  the  preceeding  species  have 
anticipated  some  points  in  the  New  England  history  of 
the  present  one.  We  have  to  note  further  that  in  1/92, 
Jeremy  Belknap  gives  the  Sandhill  Crane  as  a  bird 
of  New  Hampshire  (Hist.  N.  H.,  iii,  1792,  p.  169)  ;  and 
that  Samuel  Williams,  about  the  same  time,  states  that 
the  species  was  one  of  the  commonest  of  the  "  water 
fowl  "  of  Vermont  (Hist.  Vt.,  1794,  p.  119). 

No  modern  instance  of  this  species  or  the  preceding 
appearing  in  New  England  is  known  to  us. 


RALLUS    LONGIROSTRIS    CREPITANS  I    CLAPPER   RAIL. 


FAM.  RALLIDyE;  RAILS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES. 


CLAPPER   RAIL,    OR    SALT-WATER    MARSH- 
HEN. 

RALLUS  LONGIROSTRIS  CREPITANS  (Gm.)  Ridg. 

Chars.  Bill  longer  than  head,  slender,  decurved,  with  long  nasal 
groove  extending  beyond  its  middle.  Nostrils  linear,  sub-basal. 
Hind  toe  not  one  half  as  long  as  tarsus.  Above,  variegated 
with  dark  olive-brown  and  pale  olive-ash,  the  latter  edging  the 
feathers.  Below,  pale  dull  ochrey-brown,  whitening  on  the 
throat,  frequently  ashy  shaded  on  the  breast ;  the  flanks,  axillars 
and  crissum  fuscous-gray,  with  sharp  narrow  white  bars.  Quills 
and  tail  plain  dark  brown,  without  chestnut  on  the  coverts  ;  eye- 
lids and  short  superciliary  line  whitish.  The  general  tone  is 
that  of  a  gray  bird,  as  compared  with  the  reddish-brown  cast  of 
R.  elegans.  Length,  14.00-16.00  ;  extent  about  20.00  ;  wing,  5.00- 
6.00;  tail,  2.00-2.50  ;  bill,  2.00-2.50;  tarsus,  1.67-2.00;  middle 
toe  and  claw,  2.00-2.33. 

The  New  England  range  of  this  bird  is  not  deter- 
mined with  absolute  precision.  The  species  is  probably 
to  be  regarded  as  a  straggler  in  most  of  New  England, 
and  as  a  locally  distributed  summer  visitor  all  along  the 
coasts  of  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut. 
To  dispose  first  of  the  earlier  records,  we  may  note  that 
Linsley  took  the  bird  at  Stratford,  Conn.,  where  he 
states  it  "breeds  abundantly "  (Am.  Journ.  Sci.,  xliv, 
1843,  p.  267).  The  species  is  also  given  as  of  New 
England,  in  more  or  less  general  terms,  by  Putnam,  Pr. 
Essex  Inst.,  i,  1856,  p.  229;  Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iv, 
1864,  p.  87  ;  Samuels,  Orn.  N.  E.,  1867,  p.  471  ;  Coues, 


28O  RALLID.E  I    RAILS    AND    THEIR    ALLIES. 

Pr.  Essex  Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  296;  Maynard,  Nat.  Guide, 
1870,  p.  145.  These  writers  all  credit  the  species  to 
Massachusetts,  probably  resting  upon  the  authority  of 
Cabot,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  iii,  1850,  p.  326.  Dr.  Brewer  has, 
however,  corrected  an  error  in  this  case,  the  individual 
referred  to  by  Cabot  having  really  come  from  Long 
Island,  N.  Y.  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  447).  Mr. 
Maynard,  however,  states  positively  that  a  specimen  had 
some  years  previously  been  taken  in  Ipswich  by  Mr.  J. 
F.  LeBaron. 


FIG.  59.  —  CLAPPER  RAIL. 


Recurring  once  more  to  the  old  Connecticut  record 
left  by  Linsley,  we  may  next  note  Dr.  Brewer's  state- 
ment that  the  Clapper  Rail  "  breeds  in  S.  W.  Conn.,  in 
salt  marshes  on  shores  of  L.  I.  Sound.  Not  found 
in  any  other  portion  of  New  England."  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc., 
xvii,  1875,  p.  447.)  This  statement,  however,  was  soon 
negatived  by  Mr.  Purdie,  who  adduced  an  instance  of 
the  occurrence  of  the  species  in  Massachusetts,  this 
being  probably  the  first  authentic  record  for  that  state. 
Purdie's  specimen  was  taken  in  Boston  Harbor,  May  4, 


RALLUS    LONGIROSTRIS    CREPITANS  :    CLAPPER    RAIL.      28 1 

1875,  having  flown  on  board  a  vessel  (Bull.  Nutt  Club, 
ii,  1877,  p.  22).  This  same  case  is  noted  by  Merriam 
(Rev.  B.  Cona,  1877,  p.  115)  ;  by  Allen  (Bull.  Essex 
Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  25)  ;  and  by  Brewer  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix, 
1878,  p.  307),  who,  however,  misprints  the  date  as  "  May, 
1876."  The  specimen  is  preserved  in  the  Boston 
Natural  History  Society.  The  second  Massachusetts 
case  is  furnished  by  Mr.  Brewster,  who  notes  the  capture 
of  a  Clapper  Rail  at  Plymouth,  Mass.,  late  in  October, 
1879 ;  it  was  killed  on  a  salt  marsh  where  another  large 
Rail  supposed  to  be  of  the  same  species  was  also  seen 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1881,  p.  62). 

We  also  have  authentic  advices  of  the  Clapper  Rail  in 
Maine,  where,  according  to  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown,  it  appears 
to  be  an  occasional  visitor.  "  Mr.  Samuel  Hanson,  a 
gentleman  who  is  perfectly  familiar  with  the  species,  has 
given  me  three  instances  of  its  occurrence  in  the  vicinity 
of  Portland.  One  specimen  was  killed  by  himself,  in 
Falmouth,  on  the  I7th  of  October,  1866,  and  about  the 
same  time  two  others  were  noticed  in  the  game-bag  of  a 
sportsman  of  the  town.  A  probable  fourth  specimen  (if 
correctly  identified,  doubtless  the  first  killed  in  the  state) 
was  shot  by  my  friend  Mr.  Luther  Redlow,  about  Sep- 
tember, 1864."*  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  Io8-) 

*  Mr.  Brown  further  states  :  "  A  contributor  writing  from  Ports- 
mouth to  the  defunct  '  Country'  [a  newspaper  of  New  York]  under 
date  of  February  14,  1878,  noted  the  capture  of  a  Rallus  crepitans 
at  York,  Me.,  in  the  last  week  of  December,  1875.  Since  the 
gentleman  chose  to  conceal  his  identity  under  the  initial  *  E,'  I 
am  unable  to  say  under  whose  sponsorship  this  record  was  made, 
but  regard  it  as  probably  correct.  Mr.  Purdie  writes  me  that  his 
allusion  on  page  22,  vol.  ii,  of  this  Bulletin,  to  the  bird's  occurrence 
in  Maine  was  based  on  a  knowledge  of  the  same  specimen,  which, 
he  adds,  was  preserved  by  Mr.  Vickary,  of  Lynn,  Mass." 


282  RALLID^E  I    RAILS    AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

FRESH-WATER  MARSH  HEN ;   KING  RAIL. 

RALLUS  ELEGANS  Aud. 

Chars.  With  a  general  resemblance  to  R.  crepitans^  but  much 
more  brightly  colored,  as  well  as  larger.  Adult,  above  distinctly 
streaked  with  brownish-black  and  tawny-olive,  becoming  rich 
chestnut  on  the  wing-coverts.  Below,  cinnamon-red,  brightest 
on  the  breast,  fading  on  the  throat  and  belly  ;  a  line  of  the  same 
over  the  eye,  and  dusky  stripe  through  eye  ;  lower  eyelid  white. 
Flanks  and  lining  of  wings  blackish,  broadly  and  distinctly  barred 
with  white.  Length,  17.00-19.00;  extent,  23.00-25.00;  wing, 
6.00-7.00  jbill,  2.10-2.50;  tarsus,  2.30. 

The  King  Rail  is  certainly  a  rare  bird  in  New  Eng- 
land, and  the  manner  of  its  occurrence  has  not  been 
ascertained  with  precision.  It  should  probably  be 
classed  as  a  summer  visitor  of  irregular  or  casual  occur- 
rence and  local  distribution.  Its  record  is  quite  brief. 
Linsley  gives  a  single  instance  of  its  breeding  at  Strat- 
ford, Conn.  (Am.  Journ.  Sci.,  xliv,  1843,  p.  267).  Coues 
records  a  Connecticut  specimen  in  the  Museum  of  the 
Essex  Institute,  Salem,  from  West  Haven  (Pr.  Essex 
Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  296) ;  apparently  the  same  as  noted  by 
Brewer  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  447).  Merriam 
records  two  cases  for  the  same  State  :  a  specimen  taken 
at  Portland,  by  W.  W.  Coe,  and  another  at  Saybrook,  in 
midwinter  (Jan.  14,  1876),  by  J.  N.  Clark  (Rev.  B.  Conn., 
1877,  p.  115).  For  Massachusetts,  Purdie  gives  the  first 
record,  that  of  a  specimen  in  the  collection  of  Geo.  O. 
Welch,  shot  at  Nahant,  Nov.  21,  1875*  (Bull.  Nutt. 

*  This  is  the  specimen  noted  by  Brewer  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878, 
p.  307)  in  «  the  cabinet  of  Mr.  Willard  S.  Brewer,"  "  shot  at 
Nahant  in  the  spring  of  1876."  (See  Brewster,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 


RALLUS    VIRGINIANUS  I    VIRGINIA    RAIL.  283 

Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  22).  Another  Massachusetts  record  is 
also  furnished  by  Mr.  Purdie,  that  of  a  specimen  from 
Sudbury  Meadows,  "  some  years  since "  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  iii,  1878,  p:  146). 

The  first  and  only  Maine  record,  to  our  knowledge,  is 
given  by  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown,  a  specimen  having  been 
taken  by  Mr.  A.  G.  Rogers,  on  Scarborough  marsh,  Oct. 
8,  1 88 1  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  60).  But  in  col- 
lating the  previous  New  England  record  Mr.  Brown 
overlooks  the  West  Haven,  Conn.,  case. 


VIRGINIA  RAIL. 
RALLUS  VIRGINIANUS  Linn. 

Chars.  Coloration  exactly  as  in  R.  elegans,  of  which  species 
the  present  is  a  perfect  miniature.  Length,  8.50-10.50  ;  extent 
about  14.00;  wing,  4.00;  tail,  1.50;  bill,  1.35-1.65;  tarsus,  1.25- 
1.50. 

A  common  summer  resident,  though  necessarily  of 
local  distribution,  occurring  in  those  fresh  or  brackish 
marshes  which  afford  the  conditions  requisite  for  its 
health  and  happiness.  It  arrives  the  latter  part  of 
April  or  early  in  May,  and  usually  departs  in  Septem- 
ber. The  nest  is  built  in  a  tuft  of  reeds  or  grasses  close 
to  the  water,  and  consists  of  a  slight  bedding  of  the 
same  materials.  The  eggs  are  six  to  eight  or  even  more 
in  number,  quite  like  those  of  the  King  or  Clapper  Rail 

vi,  1881,  p.  62.)  Dr.  Brewer  also  overlooks  the  Linsley  record,  and 
the  two  other  Connecticut  cases  given  by  Merriam,  in  stating,  as  he 
does  in  this  connection,  that  "  there  was  no  previous  record  of  the 
bird  for  New  England,  except  West  Haven,  Conn." 


284  RALLID^E  :    RAILS    AND    THEIR    ALLIES. 

in  shape  and  color,  but  of  course  much  smaller,  measuring 
about  1.25  X  0.95.  The  ground  color  varies  from  dull 
clayey  whitish  to  creamy  or  pale  buff,  with  numberless 
reddish-brown  markings,  irregularly  distributed,  varying 
from  mere  dots  to  blotches,  and  mixed  with  shell  spots 
of  paler  color.  Of  about  the  same  size  as  those  of  the 
Sora,  they  may  always  be  distinguished  by  their  colora- 
tion, which  is  not  of  the  olive  or  greenish-drab  tint  dis- 
played by  the  eggs  of  P.  Carolina. 

Dr.  Coues  gives  the  following  night-scene  in  Arizona, 
with  Rail  in  the  foreground  (B.  N.  W.,  1874,  p.  507)  : 

"  A  night  at  Soda  Lake,  the  debouchure  of  that  singu- 
lar river,  the  Mojave,  was  one  of  the  strangest,  as  well 
as  most  uncomfortable,  I  ever  passed.  It  was  late  in 
October,  and  the  full  moon  threw  a  pale,  uncertain  light 
upon  a  scene  of  desolation  and  of  death.  On  one  side 
stretched  the  interminable  desert  of  shifting  sand, 
broken  here  and  there  by  clumps  of  the  foul  creosote 
plant,  straggling  patches  of  grease-wood  and  bitter  sage, 
and  scattered,  sentinel-like,  Spanish  bayonet.  Along 
the  road  just  traversed  were  strewn  skeletons  of  beasts 
that  had  fallen  in  their  tracks  beneath  the  scorching  rays 
of  the  sun.  At  the  foot  of  some  cliffs  near  by  lay 
whitening  the  heads  and  horns  of  the  argali  (Ovis  mon- 
tana},  shot  by  previous  travellers.  The  bare  bones 
looked  of  double  size  and  fantastic  shape  in  the  uncer- 
tain moonlight.  Before  us  lay  a  dead-white  sea  of  salty 
efflorescence,  where  the  lake  had  evaporated  or  sunk  in 
the  sand,  leaving  its  saline  matter.  It  was  dry,  except 
toward  the  middle,  where  dark  green  masses  of  Tule 
reeds,  contrasting  with  the  snowy  whiteness  all  around, 
showed  that  a  little  water  was  left.  Our  animals,  like 
ourselves,  were  exhausted ;  one  poor  creature,  cruelly 


RALLUS    VIRGINIANUS  I    VIRGINIA    RAIL.  285 

over-tasked,  had  given  birth  to  a  foal,  and  lay  groaning 
by  the  wayside,  unable  to  rise.  The  water  was  too 
nauseous  to  drink,  and  hardly  answered  to  cook  with. 
After  a  poor  meal,  we  lay  down  with  gloomy  thoughts. 
But  sleep  was  impossible,  though  wrapped  never  so 
closely,  head  and  all,  in  our  blankets.  We  contended 
with  a  bloodthirsty  swarm  of  mo'squitoes,  wafted  like  a 
cloud  from  the  stagnant  pools.  Every  breath  of  air 
seemed  to  vibrate  to  the  continuous  hum  of  the  insects ; 
it  was  open  onslaught,  as  well  as  stealthy  attack,  with 
them,  as  we  huddled  around  the  camp-fire,  on  the  side 
to  which  the  smoke  was  wafted,  enveloped  in  blankets, 
and  impatiently  waiting  the  day.  We  were  bitten  on 
every  exposed  point  ;  for  days  afterward  our  hands  and 
faces  were  sore  and  swollen,  inflamed  by  the  tiny  drops 
of  poison  instilled  into  each  wound. 

"  But  even  under  such  circumstances  I  was  gratified 
by  the  presence  of  feathered  friends.  At  nightfall  some 
Mallard  and  Teal  settled  into  the  rushes,  gabbling 
curious  vespers  as  they  went  to  rest.  A  few  Marsh 
Wrens  had  appeared  on  the  edge  of  the  reeds,  queerly 
balancing  themselves  on  the  thread-like  leaves,  see-sawing 
to  their  own  quaint  music.  Then  they  were  hushed,  and 
as  darkness  settled  down,  the  dull,  heavy  croaking  of  the 
frogs  played  bass  to  the  shrill  falsetto  of  the  insects. 
Suddenly  they  too  were  hushed  in  turn,  frightened,  may 
be,  into  silence  ;  and  from  the  heart  of  the  bulrushes, 
"  crik-crik-rik-k-k-k"  lustily  shouted  some  wide-awake 
Rail,  to  be  answered  by  another  and  another,  till  the 
reeds  resounded.  Then  all  was  silent  again  till  the 
most  courageous  frog  renewed  his  pipes.  The  Rail  are, 
partially  at  least,  nocturnal.  During  such  moonlight 
nights  as  this  they  are  on  the  alert,  patrolling  the 


286  RALLIM:  :  RAILS  AND  THEIR  ALLIES. 

marshes  through  the  countless  covered  ways  among  the 
reeds,  stopping  to  cry  "  all's  well "  as  they  pass  on,  or 
to  answer  the  challenge  of  a  distant  watchman.  That 
they  feed  by  night,  as  well  as  by  day,  cannot  be  doubted. 
Their  habit  of  skulking  and  hiding  in  the  almost  in- 
accessible places  they  frequent  renders  them  difficult  of 
observation,  and  they  are  usually  considered  rarer  than 
they  really  are.  During  the  spring  migration  they  seem 
to  pass  more  swiftly  and  secretly  than  in  the  fall,  when, 
their  ranks  recruited  by  the  summer's  broods,  they 
become  more  noticeable." 


CAROLINA  RAIL,  OR  SORA. 
PORZANA  CAROLINA  (Linn.}    Vieill. 

Chars.  Rails  of  this  genus  differ  from  the  foregoing  (Rallus)  in 
having  the  bill  short,  straight,  and  quite  stout  at  base  ;  they  are 
also  smaller  birds.  Above,  adult,  olive-brown,  varied  with  black, 
and  with  numerous  sharp  white  streaks  and  specks  ;  flanks, 
axillars  and  lining  of  wings  barred  with  white  and  blackish  ; 
belly  pale,  crissum  rufescent ;  face  and  central  line  of  throat 
black,  the  rest  of  the  throat,  line  over  eye,  and  the  breast,  more 
or  less  intensely  slate-gray,  .the  sides  of  the  breast  usually  also 
with  some  obsolete  whitish  speckling  or  barring.  Young  with- 
out these  black  and  slate-colored  areas,  the  throat  whitish,  the 
breast  brown.  Length,  8.00-9.00;  extent,  12.00-13.00;  wing, 
4.00-4.50  ;  tail  about  2.00  ;  bill,  0.67-0.75  ;  tarsus,  1.33  ;  middle 
toe  and  claw  1.67. 

A  very  abundant  summer  resident  in  suitable  local- 
ities, being  the  best  known  and  most  equably  dis- 
tributed of  the  New  England  Rallidcz,  arriving  in  April 
or  May  and  departing  usually  in  September,  though  some 
linger  into  October.  The  habits  are  too  well-known  to 
require  description. 


PORZANA    NOVEBORACENSIS  :    YELLOW    RAIL.         28/ 

The  eggs  of  Porzana  Carolina  are  spotted  just  like 
those  of  the  foregoing  Ralli, 
but  are  readily  distinguished 
by  their  strong  drab  ground- 
color, instead  of  the  white  or 
creamy  and  pale  buffy  of  the 
former.  They  are  rather 
smaller  than  those  of  R.  vir- 

ginianus,   and   perhaps   more         FIG.  60. -CAROLINA  RAIL. 
obtuse,  measuring  about  1.20  X  o. 


YELLOW  RAIL,  OR  CRAKE. 
PORZANA  NOVEBORACENSIS  (Gm.)   Cass. 

Chary.  Very  small.  Above,  streaked  with  blackish  and  brownish- 
yellow,  thickly  marked  also  with  narrow  white  semicircles 
and  transverse  bars.  Below,  pale  brownish-yellow,  fading  on 
the  belly,  deepest  on  breast,  where  many  feathers  are  dark- 
tipped  ;  flanks  blackish,  with  numerous  white  bars  ;  crissum 
varied  with  black,  white,  and  rufous.  Length  about  6.00 ;  wing, 
3.25  ;  tail,  1.50  ;  bill,  0.50  ;  tarsus,  0.87  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  1.12. 

This  is  represented  by  the  older  New  England 
authorities,  and  by  others  down  to  a  quite  recent  date, 
as  a  rare  species.  It  is  certainly  uncommon,  as  com- 
pared with  either  the  Virginian  or  Carolinian  Rail,  but 
there  is  every  reason  to  believe  it  is  a  regular  summer 
resident  of  New  England,  and  one  generally  distributed 
in  suitable  places.  Being  insignificant  in  stature,  of  no 
striking  colors,  and  one  of  the  most  inveterate  skulkers 
of  the  reedy  recesses,  it  is  very  liable  to  be  overlooked. 
The  dates  of  its  appearance  and  disappearance  are 


288  RALLID.E  !    RAILS    AND    THEIR    ALLIES. 

not  ascertained  with  precision,  but  probably  do  not 
differ  materially  from  those  of  our  other  Rails.  The 
bird  has  been  found  in  October,  and  even  so  late  as 
November.  Many  specimens  have  been  secured  of  late 
years  during  the  migrations,  in  Southern  New  England. 
It  is  also  known  to  breed  with  us.  Nidification  is 
substantially  the  same  as  that  of  other  Rails.  A  set 
of  eggs  is  described  by  Coues  as  consisting  of  six,  differ- 
ing from  those  of  P.  Carolina  in  the  ground  color,  which 
is  a  rich,  warm  buffy-brown,  marked  at  the  greater  end 
with  a  cluster  of  reddish-chocolate  dots  and  spots  ;  the 
shape  as  in  those  of  P.  Carolina,  but  the  size  smaller, 
being  from  1.15  X  0.85  to  1.05  X  0.80. 

A  letter  from  Mr.  Geo.  Bird  Grinnell  to  Dr.  Merriam, 
gives  a  glimpse  of  the  interesting  habits  of  this  diminu- 
tive Rail  :  "  I  was  working  a  young  setter  on  Snipe,  on 
a  piece  of  wet  meadow  near  Milford,  Conn.,  and  several 
times  during  the  early  part  of  the  day  was  annoyed 
by  the  pertinacious  way  in  which  the  dog  would  trail  up 
some  bird  which  neither  he  nor  I  could  start.  At 
length,  during  one  of  these  performances,  I  saw  the 
puppy  grasp  at  something  in  the  bog  before  him,  and 
immediately  a  small  Rail  rose  and  fluttered  a  few  yards. 
Noticing  its  small  size,  and  the  fact  that  it  had  some 
white  on  its  wings,  and  seeing  from  its  flight  that  it  was 
a  Rail,  I  shot  the  bird  before  it  had  gone  far,  and  when 
it  was  brought  by  the  dog  I  was  delighted  to  see  that  it 
was  P.  noveboracensis,  a  species  I  had  never  before  seen 
alive.  During  the  day  several  more  individuals  were 
secured.  The  next  opportunity  I  had  of  looking  for 
these  birds  was,  I  think,  Oct.  14.  That  day  my  brother 
and'  I  secured  eight  in  an  hour  or  two.  They  were 
ridiculously  tame,  and  would  run  along  before  the 


PORZANA   JAMAICENSIS  I    LITTLE    BLACK    RAIL.       289 

dog,  creeping  into  the  holes  in  the  bog  and  hiding  there 
while  we  tried  in  vain  to  start  them.  I  killed  one  with 
my  dog-whip,  caught  one  alive  in  my  hand,  and  the  dog 
brought  me  another,  uninjured,  which  he  had  caught  in 
his  mouth.  From  what  I  saw  of  their  habits,  I  am  con- 
vinced that  the  only  successful  way  of  collecting  these 
birds  is  to  look  for  them  with  a  dog.  Without  one  they 
could  never  be  forced  from  the  ground  "  (Rev.  B.  Conn., 
1877,  p.  1 1 8). 

While  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  follow  up  the  record 
of  this  species  in  New  England,  I  will  present  the 
references  I  have  collected  :  Bailey,  Forest  and  Stream 
Bird  Notes,  1882,  p.  124  ;  Brewster,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi, 

1881,  p.  186;  Maynard,  B.  E.  N.  Am.,   1881,  p.   431  ; 
Chamberlain,    Bull.    Nat.    Hist.    Soc.    New    Brunswick, 

1882,  p.   56.      Mr.  Purdie  informs  me   he  has  a   man- 
uscript  record  from  Mr.    G.  A.  Boardman,  of   several 
specimens  from  the  vicinity  of  Calais,  Me. 


LITTLE  BLACK  RAIL,  OR  CRAKE. 
PORZANA  JAMAICENSIS  (Gm.)  Cass. 

Chars.  Smallest  of  all.  Upper  parts  blackish,  the  hind-neck  and 
fore-back  dark  chestnut,  all  finely  speckled  and  barred  with 
white  ;  head  and  under  parts  dark  slate  color,  paler  or  whitening 
on  the  throat ;  the  lower  belly,  flanks,  crissum  and  under  wing- 
coverts  barred  with  white.  Quills  and  tail-feathers  with  white 
spots.  Length  about  5.50  ;  wing,  2  75-3.00  ;  tail,  1.35  ;  tarsus, 
0.75  ;  bill  under  0.50. 

Still  another  New  England  rarity  from  the  same  ubi- 
quitous but  secretive  family  of  the  Rails  is  this  dusky 


290  RALLID.E  :    RAILS    AND   THEIR    ALLIES. 

little  Crake,  which  has  only  been  lately  determined  to  visit 
us  at  all.  It  appears  to  have  been  first  definitely  added  to 
our  Fauna  by  Dr.  Brewer,  who  notes  it  as  a  rare  summer 
resident,  and  cites  Hazenville,  Conn.  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc., 
xvii,  1875,  p.  447).  The  next  we  hear  of  it  is  from  Mr. 
Purdie,  who  adduces  another  Connecticut  instance,  and 
adds  a  Massachusetts  case.  "  Of  this  species  Mr.  Clark, 
of  Saybrook,  Conn.,  writes  me  that  a  neighbor  of  his, 
while  mowing  at  that  place,  July  10,  1876,  swung  his 
scythe  over  a  nest  of  ten  eggs  on  which  the  bird  was 
sitting,  unfortunately  cutting  off  the  bird's  head  and 
breaking  all  but  four  of  the  eggs  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii, 
1877,  p.  22).  These  eggs,  later  inspected  by  Merriam, 
are  said  to  agree  precisely  with  Cones'  description, 
"  being  creamy-white,  sprinkled  all  over  with  fine  dots  of 
rich,  bright  reddish-brown "  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 
119).  Mr.  Purdie  also  states  in  the  same  communica- 
tion, that  he  had  seen  a  specimen  which  was  picked 
up  dead  on  Clark's  Island,  Plymouth  Harbor,  Mass.,  in 
August,  1869.  This  specimen  is  the  same  one  men- 
tioned by  Mr.  Browne  in  Forest  and  Stream,  viii,  1877, 
p.  33.  Another  one,  to  which,  however,  some  doubt  is 
attached,  is  noted  by  Mr.  Curtis,  in  the  paper  last  cited, 
p.  129  ;  see  Bailey,  Forest  and  Stream  Bird  Notes,  1882, 
p.  1 24.  Dr.  Brewer  speaks  of  the  species  as  "  not  at  all 
uncommon  in  Connecticut,"  but  upon  what  other  au- 
thority than  the  records  we  have  here  adduced  does  not 
appear  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  307).  It  is  really  a 
bird  of  South  and  Central  America  and  the  West  Indies, 
the  occurrence  of  which  in  the  United  States  is  in  most 
localities  infrequent  and  irregular. 


GALLINULA  GALEATA  :  FLORIDA  GALLINULE. 

FLORIDA  GALLINULE. 
.  GALLINULA   GALEATA   (Licht.}  Bp. 

Chars.  Birds  of  this  genus  and  the  following,  as  well  as  Coots,  are 
readily  distinguished  by  the  broad,  horny  plate  which  ascends 
from  the  bill  upon  the  forehead,  known  as  the  frontal  shield. 
The  bill  is  much  as  in  the  ralline  genus  Porzana,  and  the 
general  form  is  not  greatly  dissimilar.  The  present  species  has 
•  the  head,  neck,  and  under  parts  grayish-black,  deepest  on  the  head, 
palest  or  whitish  on  the  belly  ;  back  brownish-olive  ;  wings  and 
tail  dusky  ;  crissum,  edge  of  wing,  outer  web  of  first  primary  and 
stripes  on  the  flanks,  white.  Bill,  frontal  plate,  and  ring  around 
tibiae,  bright  red  ;  bill  tipped  with  yellow  ;  tarsi  and  toes  greenish. 
Length,  12.00-14.00;  extent,  20.00-22.00  ;  wirig,  6.50-7.50  ;  tail, 
3.00  ;  gape  of  bill  about  1.50  ;  tarsus  about  2.00. 

In  Southern  New  England  this  Gallinule  is  of  regular 
occurrence,  and  is  considered  now  by  the  local  authorities 
to  be  a  rather  common  summer  resident,  though  it 
used  to  be  rated  as  rare  or  even  accidental.  The  Con- 
necticut cases  are  numerous,  and  need  not  be  recapitu- 
lated. It  is  rarer  in  Massachusetts,  where,  however,  it 
doubtless  breeds  (see  Allen,  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  639; 
Maynard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,. p.  146,  and  B.  E.  N.  Am., 
1 88 1,  p.  432.)  Mr.  Brewster  remarks  that  it  probably 
breeds  in  the  Fresh  Pond  marshes  near  Cambridge, 
where  he  shot  a  young  bird  on  the  Qth  of  October, 
1868,  and  saw  another. 

Dr.  Brewer  notes  a  specimen,  now  in  the  Boston  Soci- 
ety of  Natural  History  >  shot  late  in  the  autumn  of  1872, 
probably  in  October,  on  Hummock  Pond,  Nantucket 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  63).  The  same  authority 
speaks  also  of  a  specimen  procured  in  Wayland,  by  Mr. 


292  RALLID.E  I    RAILS    AND    THEIR   ALLIES. 

E.  O.  Bangs,  Sept.  10,  1878  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  p. 
273).  Mr.  R.  Deane  notes  the  Gallinule  as  probably 
breeding  in  New  England,  in  Forest  and  Stream,  xiii, 
1879,  P>  785-  Mr.  Boardman  has  taken  the  Gallinule 
at  Calais,  Me.  (Am.  Nat.,  v,  1871,  p.  662),  and  Mr.  R.  E.j 
Robinson  records  it  among  the  rare  Vermont  visitors 
(Forest  and  Stream,  xii,  1879,  P-  2^5)-  Mr-  Purdie  in- 
forms us  of  various  other  cases.  For  New  Brunswick, 
we  have  the  authority  of  Mr.  Brewster  for  the  capture 
of  a  specimen  at  Dick's  Lake,  in  September,  1880 — • 
doubtless  the  same  case  as  that  recorded  by  Chamber- 
lain, Bull.  Nat.  Hist.  Soc.  N.  B.,  1882,  p.  56,  though  the 
date  is  there  given  as  September,  1879.  There  is  also 
a  Nova  Scotia  record  (Gilpin,  Orn.  and  Ool.,  vii,  1882, 
P.  123). 


PURPLE  GALLINULE. 

IONORNIS  MARTINICA  (Linn.)  Reich. 

Chars.  Head,  neck  and  under  parts  beautiful  rich  blue,  with 
a  purplish  tinge,  blackening  on  the  belly,  the  sides  of  the  body 
and  lining  of  the  wings  bluish-green,  the  crissum  white.  Upper 
parts  olive-green,  the  cerviae  and  wing-coverts  tinted  with  blue. 
Frontal  shield  blue  ;  bill  carmine,  tipped  with  yellow  ;  legs  yellow. 
Young,  with  head,  neck  and  lower  back  brownish  ;  under  parts 
mostly  white,  mixed  with  ochrey  ;  but  distinguished  in  any 
plumage  from  the  last  by  the  very  stout  bill  with  oval  nostrils  near 
its  middle,  obovate  frontal  shield  with  a  point  behind,  and  toes 
without  lateral  margins.  About  the  size  of  the  last. 

A  very  rare  and  casual  visitor  from  the  South ;  yet 
there  are  several  authentic  instances  of  the  appearance 
of  this  "  sultan  of  the  water-fowl "  in  various  parts  of 
New  England.  The  earliest  of  these,  to  our  knowledge, 


IONORNIS    MARTINICA  :    PURPLE    GALLINULE. 

that  given  by  the  Rev.  W.  B.  O.  Peabody,  of  a  specimen 
from  Stoneham,  Mass.,  Nov.  27,  1837  (Rep.  B.  Mass., 
1839,  p.  238).  Another  is  furnished  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Put- 
nam, who  notes  a  capture  by  Mr.  S.  Jillson,  at  Swamp- 
scott,  Mass.,  April  22,  1852  (Pr.  Essex  Inst,  i,  1856, 
p.  224;  not  the  same  as  given  by  Allen,  ibid.,  iv,  1864, 
p.  87  ;  see  also  Coues,  ibid.,  v,  1868,  p.  297).  Mr.  F.  T. 
Jencks  has  lately  published  the  record  of  a  specimen 
taken  somewhere  about  1857,  at  Westerly,  Rhode 
Island  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  124).  Mr.  G.  A. 
Boardman  records  the  bird  from  Calais,  Maine  (Am. 
Nat.,  iii,  1869,  p.  498)  ;  and  Mr.  Purdie  gives  another 
Maine  case,  that  of  a  specimen  from  Booth  Bay,  last  of 
September,  1877  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  242).  A 
still  more  exceptional  apparition  of  the  bird  in  Hali- 
fax, Nova  Scotia,  January  30,  1870,  is  given  by  Jones 
(Am.  Nat,  iv,  1870,  p.  253).  Mr.  C.  P.  Whitman 
notes  a  specimen  taken  by  Robert  Wendell  at  Rock- 
port,  Mass.,  April  12,  1875  (Am.  Nat.,  ix,  1875,  p. 
573).  According  to  Mernam,  one  was  taken  about  1855 
near  Middletown,  Conn.,  and  is  now  in  the  Museum  of 
the  Wesleyan  University  (Rev  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  119). 
For  New  Brunswick  we  have  two  instances,  one  at  Irish- 
town,  Apr.  6,  1881  (Brewster,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vi,  1871, 
p.  1 86) ;  the  other  near  Gagetown,  on  the  St.  John's  river, 
Sept.,  1880  (Chamberlain,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p 
105).  These  are  the  only  cases  which  have  conic  to  our 
knowledge. 


294  RALLID.E  J   RAILS   AND    THEIR  ALLIES. 

AMERICAN  COOT. 

FULICA    AMERICANA    Gm. 

Chars.  Toes  conspicuously  lobate  with  a  series  of  scolloped  flaps  ; 
a  small  frontal  shield.  Dark  slate-color,  paler  or  grayish  below, 
blackening  on  head,  tinged  with  olive  on  the  back ;  under  tail- 
coverts,  whole  edge  of  wing,  and  tips  of  secondaries,  white.  Bill 
white  or  flesh-color,  marked  with  reddish-black  near  end  and  at 
base  of  frontal  shield  ;  feet  livid  greenish  ;  iris  carmine.  Length, 
14.00-16.00  ;  extent,  23.00-27.00 ;  wing,  7.00-8.00  ;  tail,  2.00  ; 
bill  from  gape,  1.25-1.50;  tarsus  about  2.00;  middle  toe  and 
claw  about  3.00. 

This  well-known  bird  is  an  uncommon  summer  resi- 
dent with  us,  but  particularly  abundant  during  the 
autumnal  migration,  It  is  known  to  breed  in  New 
England,  though  the  actual  numbers  during  the  season 
of  reproduction  are  few  compared  with  those  which 
pass  through  in  the  spring  and  fall.  It  lingers  late,  and 
may  not  improbably  be  sometimes  found  in  winter. 

"  The  nidification  of  the  Coot,"  says  Coues,  "  is  not  the 
least  interesting  portion  of  its  history.  The  mode  of 
nesting  is  most  like  that  of  the  Grebes.  The  nest  is 
said  to  be  sometimes  a  floating  one,  moored  to  the 
stems  of  reeds,  rising  and  falling  with  the  tide.  One 
author,  in  illustration  of  the  insecurity  of  the  bird's 
home,  has  related  that  once  during  a  storm  a  nest 
became  detached  from  its  moorings  by  a  rise  of  the 
water,  and  drifted  about,  the  parent  nevertheless  re- 
maining at  her  post  of  duty,  and  safely-  hatching  out 
her  brood  during  the  cruise.  This  may  or  may  not  have 
been  a  strict  statement  of  fact.  Among  many  Coots' 
nests  I  have  found,  one  was  built  in  a  clump  of  reeds 


FULICA    AMERICANA  :    AMERICAN    COOT.  2Q5 

where  the  water  was  about  knee-deep  ;  it  was  a  bulky 
affair,  resting  securely  on  a  mass  of  reedy  debris.  The 
nest  itself  was  built  of  the  same  materials,  heaped 
up  and  little  hollowed  ;  it  was  about  fifteen  inches  in 
diameter,  and  half  as  high.  The  reed-stems  appeared 
to  have  been  bitten  by  the  bird  into  short  pieces  ; 
there  was  no  special  lining.  This  nest  was  a  floating 
one,  in  the  sense  that  the  platform  of  broken-down 
reeds  upon  which  it  was  built  rested  on  the  water  ;  but 
it  was  perfectly  secure,  raised  out  of  the  wet,  and  though 
loosely  constructed,  could  be  lifted  up  intact.  It  con- 
tained eleven  eggs,  nearly  ready  to  hatch.  They 
measured  from  1.75  to  2.00  in  length,  by  1.20  to  1.35  in 
breadth,  exhibiting  the  usual  variation  in  contour  as  well 
as  in  absolute  size.  The  shape  is  much  like  that  of  an 
average  hen's  egg  —  perhaps  rather  more  pointed.  The 
ground  is  clear  clay-color,  uniformly  and  minutely  dotted 
all  over  with  innumerable  specks  of  dark  brown  ;  a  few 
of  the  bolder  markings  are  of  the  size  of  a  pin's  head, 
but  the  greater  number  are  mere  points.  But  the  eggs 
are  not  always  so  uniformly  and  finely  dotted  as  those  of 
this  set  were ;  sometimes  the  spots  being  aggregated 
into  blotches  of  some  size,  or  tending  chiefly  to  wreath 
around  the  larger  end.  Various  other  nests  examined 
contained  an  average  of  ten  eggs  ;  some  were  built  just 
like  the  one  described,  while  others  were  on  the  ground, 
in  comparatively  dry  spots  around  the  margin  of  the 
pools,  hidden  in  rank  grass  ;  in  all  the  materials  and 
mode  of  construction  were  much  the  same."  (B.  N.  W., 
1874,  p.  542.) 


296  ANAT1D.E  I    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 


FAMILY  ANATID^E:  SWANS,  GEESE  AND 
DUCKS. 


AMERICAN  WILD  SWAN. 
CYGNUS   COLUMBIANUS   (Ord)  Coues. 

Chars.  Tail  normally  of  20  feathers.  Bill  black,  with  a  yellow  spot 
between  eye  and  nostril  ;  the  latter  at  the  middle  of  the  bill  ;  feet 
black.  Plumage  of  the  adult  entirely  white  ;  of  younger  birds 
white,  washed  with  rusty  on  the  head  ;  of  youngest,  gray  or  ashy. 
Length  about  4.50  feet. 

Note.  The  Trumpeter  Swan,  C.  buccinator,  probably  occurs  in 
New  England.  It  may  be  distinguished  by  having  normally  24 
tail-feathers,  the  bill  longer,  with  the  nostrils  in  its  basal  half,  and 
no  yellow  spots.  (See  Merriam,  Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  120.) 

According  to  early  records  it  would  appear  that  these 
beautiful  birds  were  not  uncommon  in  New  England  ; 
but  they  are  certainly  of  rare  occurrence  now.  Writing 
in  1632,  Thomas  Morton  speaks  of  "  greate  store  at  the 
seasons  of  the  yeare  "  in  the  Merrimac  River  and  else- 
where. Linsley  speaks  of  four  which  were  seen,  two  of 
them  being  shot,  at  Stratford,  Conn.  Coues,  in  1868,  calls 
the  Swan  a  bird  "of  irregular  or  at  most  very  rare 
occurrence  in  winter"  (Pr.  Essex  Inst,  v,  1868,  p.  297). 
Maynard  refers  to  it  as  having  been  found  at  Ipswich 
(B.  E.  Mass.,  1870,  p.  146).  Dr.  Merriam  notices  two 
Swans,  supposed  to  be  of  this  species,  seen  in  Branford 
Harbor,  Conn.,  during  a  storm,  in  March,  1876  (Rev.  B. 
Conn.,  1877,  p.  120).  In  1878  (Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x, 


CYGNUS    COLUMBIANUS  :    AMERICAN    WILD   SWAN. 

p.  26),  Mr.  Allen  could  "point  to  no  recent  record  of 
its  actual  capture  "  in  Massachusetts.  The  first  actual 
capture  recorded  of  late  years  is  probably  that  given  by 
Mr.  Brewster,  who  speaks  of  one  taken  on  Coskata 
Pond,  Buzzard's  Bay,  Nantucket,  March  4,  1878,  by  Mr. 
F.  P.  Chadwick  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  198). 
The  same  excellent  authority  also  notes  one  supposed 
and  one  authentic  occurrence,  the  latter  at  Seabrook, 


FIG.  61.  —  AMERICAN  SWAN. 

N.  H.,  Oct.  1 8,  1878  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  125). 
Dr.  Brewer  speaks  of  another  specimen,  in  the  Boston 
Natural  History  Society's  collection,  which  he  has  no 
doubt  was  shot  about  1865,  at  Nahant  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc. 
Nat.  Hist.,  xx,  1879,  P-  274)-  Mr.  Newton  Dexter  gives 
a  Rhode  Island  case  (Forest  and  Stream,  xiii,  1879,  p. 
848).  Mr.  Elisha  Slade,  of  Somerset,  Mass.,  saw  there 
a  flight  of  five  Swans,  Oct.  16,  1880  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,' 
vi,  1 88 1,  p.  123).  These  comprise  all  the  instances 
which  have  come  to  our  knowledge. 


298  ANATID.E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

AMERICAN  WHITE-FRONTED  GOOSE. 

ANSER  ALBIFRONS  GAMBELI  (Hartl.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Bill  smooth  ;  the  laminae  moderately  exposed  ;  tail  normally 
of  16  feathers.  Under  parts  white  or  gray,  extensively  blotched 
with  black  ;  back  dark  gray,  with  paler  or  brownish  edgings  of 
the  feathers ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  ;  head  and  neck  grayish- 
brown,  the  forehead  conspicuously  pure  white  (in  the  adult  ; 
dark  in  some  states) ;  bill  pale  lake  ;  feet  orange,  with  pale 
claws.  About  27.00  long;  wing,  16.00-18. oo;  tail,  5.00-6.00; 
tarsus,  2.75-3.00  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  about  the  same. 

A  rare  spring  and  fall  migrant.  The  authorities  are 
agreed  upon  the  rarity  of  this  Goose  in  New  England, 
and  some,  like  Coues,  consider  it  probably  of  exceptional 
occurrence  only.  We  have  found  no  record  for  Rhode 
Island,  Connecticut,  Vermont,  or  New  Hampshire ;  and 
our  only  intimation  of  the  presence  of  the  bird  in  Maine 
is  .afforded  by  manuscript  additions  to  Mr.  Boardman's 
Catalogue  of  1862,  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Purdie.  As 
to  Massachusetts,  Audubon  gave  the  bird  in  1839 
(Synopsis,  p.  272).  Allen  remarks  that  some  years  ago 
he  found  specimens  in  the  Boston  market  supposed  to 
have  been  taken  in  Massachusetts  (Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x, 
1878,  p.  26).  According  to  Dr.  Brewer,  who  records  a 
specimen  in  immature  plumage,  taken  at  Gloucester, 
this  Goose  was  more  common  thirty  or  forty  years  ago 
than  it  is  now,  as  appears  to  be  the  case  with  many 
others  of  our  water-fowl  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  46). 
In  his  list  of  1875,  Dr.  Brewer  marks  it  "rare,  migra- 
tory" (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  447). 


CHEN  HYPERBOREUS  :  SNOW  GOOSE.        2Q9 

SNOW  GOOSE. 
CHEN  HYPERBOREUS  (Pall.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Bill  with  the  teeth  very  prominent,  owing  to  arching  of 
the  edges  of  the  bill ;  the  enclosed  space  blackish  ;  rest  of  the  bill 
reddish,  with  white  nail ;  feet  reddish,  with  dark  claws.  Plu- 
mage of  the  adult  white,  usually  washed  on  the  head  with  rusty- 
red  ;  the  primaries  broadly  tipped  with  black.  Young  ones 
bluish  or  leaden-gray  on  the  head  and  upper  parts.  Length, 
about  30.00  ;  wing,  17.00-19.00  ;  tail,  5.50-6.50  ;  bill,  2.50  ;  tarsus, 
3-25- 

Note.  The  Blue  Goose,  C.  ccentlescens,  probably  occurs  in  New 
England,  but  we  have  no  positive  authority  for  including  it. 
(See  Brewer,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  452.)  It  closely 
resembles  the  young  of  the  Snow  Goose,  and  may  therefore 
be  easily  overlooked. 

Though  far  from  being  as  abundant  in  Eastern  North 
America  as  it  is  in  the  West,  this  fine  Goose,  of  swan- 
like  purity  of  plumage,  occurs  in  New  England  as 
a  rare  regular  winter  visitor,  chiefly  along  the  coast.  It 
arrives  late  in  the  fall ;  many  of  the  migrants  pass 
further  south,  wintering  all  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard, 
while  others  are  to  be  found  with  us  during  the  whole 
season.  Early  in  the  spring  the  birds  take  flight  for  the 
hyperborean  regions  where  they  breed.  While  it  is 
needless  to  cite  all  the  records  we  possess,  we  may  refer 
to  the  case  given  by  Samuels,  of  a  female  shot  in  Boston 
Harbor,  July,  1860  (Rep.  Sec'y  Mass.  Board  Agric.,  1860, 
p.  364;  the  date  being  given  as  July,  1862,  on  p.  24  of 
separates  of  the  paper,  and  as  July,  1863,  in  Orn.  and 
061.  N.  E.,  p.  482). 


300  ANATIDjE:    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

BARNACLE  GOOSE. 

BERNICLA  LEUCOPSIS  (Bechst.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Forehead,  cheeks,  and  under  parts  of  the  head  white  ;  side 
of  the  bill  narrowly  bordered  with  black.  Crown,  nape,  and 
lower  part  of  neck,  jugulum,  fore  part  of  back,  rump,  and 
tail  black.  Feathers  of  interscapulars  and  wings  silvery  bluish- 
gray,  passing  into  black  towards  the  end,  but  with  the  extreme 
tip  whitish-gray.  Tail-feathers  similarly  marked,  but  without  the 
pale  tips.  Under  parts  uniform  bluish-white,  the  feathers  on  the 
sides  only  showing  a  darker  basal  portion.  Upper  tail-coverts 
and  sides  of  the  tail  at  the  base  white.  Bill  and  legs  black. 
Length,  28.00  ;  wing,  16.50  ;  bill,  1.45  ;  tarsus,  2.60. 

This  is  a  European  Goose,  the  occurrence  of  which 
anywhere  in  North  America  is  accidental.  It  is  ques- 
tionable whether  it  has  ever  visited  New  England  spon- 
taneously. The  early  records  are  too  dubious  to  be  relied 
upon  (Quincy,  Mass.,  Cabot,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  iii,  p.  136; 
Mass.  Peabody,  Rep.,  1839,  P-  385).  As  remarked  by  Dr. 
Brewer,  the  supposed  occurrences  may  be  traced  to  the 
escape  of  imported  birds  from  confinement  :  "  I  omit  this 
from  among  the  birds  of  New  England,"  he  says,  "because 
I  am  confident  that  all  the  instances  of  its  supposed  cap- 
ture have  been  birds  that  had  escaped  from  confinement. 
It  is  a  bird,  at  best,  only  accidental  in  America  in  a 
wild  state,  is  not  uncommon  in  private  collections  of 
water-fowl,  and  occasionally  escapes.  Eight  birds 
escaped  from  the  grounds  of  a  gentleman  in  Hali- 
fax, in  the  fall  of  1871  or  1872,  many  of  which  were 
afterwards  shot  at 'various  points  along  the  coast.  The 
specimen  taken  in  North  Carolina  and  referred  to  by 
Mr.  Lawrence  was  probably  one  of  these  escaped  birds  " 


BERNICLA  BRENTA  :  BRANT  GOOSE.        30 1 

(Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  452).  But  later,  the  same 
writer  had  occasion  to  restore  the  bird  to  his  list,  as  he 
did  in  the  following  terms  :  "  A  head  and  neck  of 
the  Barnacle  Goose  is  now  in  the  possession  of  my 
young  friends,  Mr.  Russell  Hooper  and  Mr.  Outram 
Bangs,-  of  Boston.  These  were  all  that  was  unplucked 
of  a  Goose  found  in  Boston  market  this  winter,  and 
which  had  been  shot  at  Marshfield,  Vt.  From  the 
locality,  it  is  not  probable  that  the  bird  had  escaped 
from  confinement,  and  therefore  the  species  may  once 
more  take  its  place  among  the  many  accidental  visitors 
to  New  England"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  307). 

A  Barnacle  Goose  was  killed  on  Long  Island,  about 
Oct.  20,  1876,  by  Mr.  J.  K.  Kendall,  as  recorded  by  Mr. 
Lawrence  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  18  and  note). 


BRANT  GOOSE. 
BERNICLA  BRENTA  (Pall.}  Steph. 

Chars.  Head,  neck,  body  anteriorly,  quills  and  tail,  black  ;  a  small 
patch  of  white  streaks  on  the  middle  of  the  neck,  and  usually 
white  touches  on  the  under  eyelid  and  chin  ;  upper  tail-coverts 
white  ;  back  brownish-gray  ;  under  parts  the  same,  but  paler,  and 
fading  into  white  on  the  lower  belly  and  crissum  ;  black  of 
jugulum  well-defined  against  the  color  of  the  breast.  Length, 
24.00 ;  wing,  13.00  ;  tail,  5.00  ;  bill,  1.33  ;  tarsus,  2.25. 

A  spring  and  fall  migrant,  and  to  some  extent  a 
winter  resident,  though  not  so  common  at  that  season 
as  during  the  migrations,  as  the  greater  number  of 
individuals  proceed  further  south.  It  leaves  in  April, 
and  does  not  breed  with  us.  Brant  Geese  are  chiefly 


3O2  ANATID^E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

seen  coastwise,  being  essentially  salt-water  birds  ;  still 
they  occur  inland  anywhere,  though  the  fact  has  been 
repeatedly  denied. 


FIG.  62. —  BRANT  GOOSE. 


BLACK  BRANT  GOOSE. 
BERNICLA  BRENTA  NIGRICANS  (Lawr.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Similar  to  the  last  ;  black  of  jugulum  extending  over  most 
of  the  under  parts,  gradually  fading  behind  ;  white  neck  patches 
usually  larger  and  meeting  in  front. 

This  variety  of  Brant  is  chiefly  a  bird  of  Western 
America,  but  also  occurs  along  the  Atlantic  seaboard, 
and  has  even  been  taken  in  New  England.  Dr.  Brewer 
gives  a  case,  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  H.  W.  Henshaw 


BERNICLA    CANADENSIS  I    COMMON    WILD    GOOSE.       303 

(Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  447),  and  Allen  connotes 
the  occurrence  of  Black  Brant  with  the  preceding  species 
(Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  26). 


COMMON  WILD  GOOSE;  CANADA  GOOSE. 
BERNICLA  CANADENSIS  (L.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Tail  normally  i8-feathered.  Grayish-brown,  below  paler 
or  whitish-gray,  bleaching  on  the  crissum,  all  the  feathers  with 
lighter  edges  :  head  and  neck  black,  with  a  broad  white  patch  on 
the  throat  mounting  each  side  of  the  head  ;  tail  black,  with  white 
upper  coverts.  About  36.00  ;  wing,  18.00-20.00  ;  tail,  6.50-7.50  ; 
bill,  1.75-2.00;  tarsus  usually  over  3.00.  North  America, 
abundant ;  United  States  chiefly  in  winter,  but  also  in  summer ; 
breeding  sparingly. 

This  is  the  characteristic  and  only  abundant  Goose  of 
New  England,  occurring  as  a  winter  resident  and  spring 
and  fall  migrant.  It  is  nearly  equally  abundant  inland 
and  along  the  seacoast.  No  regular  time  of  arrival  and 
departure  can  be  assigned,  but  it  is  found  in  spring  on  the 
breaking  up  of  the  ice,  and  in  fall  until  its  freezing  over. 
The  flight  begins  commonly  late  in  March,  and  con- 
tinues through  April,  and  sometimes  even  in  May.  In 
the  fall  the  arrival  is  generally  late  in  November.  This 
Goose  is  supposed  to  breed  on  some  of  the  islands  in 
Massachusetts  and  Buzzard's  Bay.  Mr.  Audubon  sup- 
posed it  to  breed  in  New  England  ;  but  we  have  no 
authentic  record  of  its  doing  so. 


304  ANATID.E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

LESSER  CANADA   GOOSE. 
BERNICLA  CANADENSIS  HUTCHINSI    (Rich.)  Cones. 

Chars.  Tail  usually  i6-feathered.  Colors  exactly  as  in  the 
Canada  Goose,  but  size  less.  About  30.00  long;  wing,  15.00- 
17.00;  tail,  5.00-6.00;  bill,  i-33|-i.66jf  ;  tarsus  rather  under 
3.00.  North  American,  but  chiefly  northern  and  western. 

This  doubtful  species  may  be  found  in  New  England 
in  limited  numbers.  It  was  regarded  by  Nuttall  as 
a  straggler  on  our  coast ;  Giraud  says  it  is  quite  abundant 
some  seasons  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  Linsley 
records  it  from  Connecticut ;  Coues  remarks,  "  Spring  and 
autumn  migrant.  Not  abundant."  Dr.  Brewer  regards 
it  as  formerly  more  abundant  than  at  present.  Mr.  Mer- 
riam  refers  to  it  as  "  Southern  Goose,"  and  adds,  "  not 
uncommon,  '  Stratford,'  Conn.,"  (Linsley).  Mr.  Geo. 
Bird  Grinnell  tells  me  that  the  hunters  about  Milford, 
Conn.,  all  make  a  distinction  between  the  common  or 
Canada  Goose,  and  the  Southern  Goose ;  that  the 
latter  do  not  arrive  until  after  the  Canada  Geese  have  all 
come,  and  that  they  do  not  stay  long,  but  pass  South- 
ward,—  hence  their  name"  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 

122). 

THE  MALLARD. 
ANAS   BOSCAS   Linn. 

Chars.  Male  :  head  and  neck  glossy-green,  surrounded  by  a  white 
collar ;  breast  purplish-chestnut ;  tail-feathers  mostly  whitish  ; 
greater  wing-coverts  tipped  with  black  and  white ;  speculum 
violet,  bordered  with  black  ;  bill  greenish-yellow ;  feet  orange- 


ANAS    BOSCAS:   THE    MALLARD.  305 

red.  Female  :  wing-markings  as  in  the  male  ;  general  plumage 
variegated  with  yellowish-brown  and  dusky  ;  bill  blotched  with 
yellowish  and  blackish.  Length  about  24.00 ;  extent,  36.00 ; 
wing,  1 1. oo;  bill,  2.40;  tarsus,  1.75. 

Although  so  common  a  bird  in  North  America  at 
large,  and  one  of  the  most  widely  distributed  of  Ducks 
in  various  parts  of  the  world,  the  Mallard  is  rare  in  New 
England,  and  does  not  ordinarily  go  further  eastward 
along  the  coast.  It  is  chiefly  found  in  winter,  and 
during  the  migrations.  The  numerous  authorities  speak 
of  the  bird  in  similar  terms,  and  none  appear  to  be 
aware  of  its  breeding  within  our  limits. 

We  have  collated  the  following  references  :  —  Mass., 
very  rare,  Peabody,  Rep.  B.  Mass.,  1839,  P-  386.  Essex 
Co.,  Mass.,  rare,  Putnam,  Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  i,  1856,  p.  219. 
Essex  Co.,  Mass.,  one  specimen,  Coues,  ibid.,  v,  1868, 
p.  298.  Mass.,  rare,  Allen,  ibid.,  iv,  1864,  p.  78,  and 
Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  27.  E.  Mass.,  rare,  May- 
nard,  Nat.  Guide,  1870,  p.  147.  Salem.  Mass.,  R.  L. 
Newcomb,  Forest  and  Stream,  i,  p.  279.  Norway,  Me., 
rare,  Verrill,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iii,  1862,  p.  153.  Calais,  Me., 
rare,  Boardman,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  129.  New 
Brunswick,  rare,  Chamberlain,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii, 
1882,  p.  105.  Newport,  R.  I.,  very  rare,  one  shot, 
anonymous  writer  in  Forest  and  Stream,  v,  p.  204. 
Conn.,  a  rare  migrant,  Merriam,  Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 
123  ;  cites  Linsley  ;  cites  Grinnell,  Oct.  and  Nov.,  1870, 
and  Brooks,  as  to  its  occasional  presence  in  fall.  Conn., 
occasional,  R.  E.  Morris,  Forest  and  Stream,  vii,  p.  116. 
Maynard  calls  it  "  only  a  wanderer"  in  Bds.  E.  N.  Am., 
1 88 1,  p.  441.  Coues  speaks  of  it  as  "  far  from  common," 
in  Bds.  of  N.  W.,  1874,  p..  560.  One  of  the  newspapers 
(Boston  Herald  of  Nov.  6,  1882)  speaks  of  four  Mallards 


306         ANATIM:  :  SWANS,  GEESE,  AND  DUCKS. 

killed  by  A.  W.  Bray  at  Ipswich,  Nov.  5,  1882  —  the 
first  he  ever  killed  in  twenty  years'  experience  in 
gunning  there. 


DUSKY  DUCK. 

ANAS   OBSCURA    Gm. 

Chars.  Size  of  the  Mallard,  and  resembling  the  female  of  that 
species,  but  the  general  coloration  darker ;  no  decided  white  any- 
where excepting  the  lining  of  the  wings  ;  speculum  violet,  with 
black  bordering,  without  any  white  tipping  of  the  coverts  ;  bill 
greenish-yellow  ;  legs  red.  This,  as  well  as  all  the  River  Ducks 
{Anatin<z\  are  distinguished  from  the  Sea  Ducks  by  having  no 
lobe  or  flap  on  the  hind  toe. 

The  characteristic  and  one  of  the  commonest  Ducks 
of  New  England  —  a  resident  species,  though  most 
numerous  during  the  migrations,  when  those  individu- 
als which  breed  farther  north  and  winter  farther  south 
pass  through.  Those  which  do  not  nestle  with  us, 
come  in  September  from  the  north,  the  flight  beginning 
as  soon  as  the  young  are  grown  strong  of  wing ;  and  the 
departure  from  the  north  is  completed  in  May.  This 
Duck  is  known  to  breed  at  large  in  New  England,  but 
the  greater  number  which  pass  the  summer  here  resort 
to  the  swamps  of  Maine.  "  Flappers,"  i.  e.,  the  young 
before  they  can  fly,  are  commonly  seen  in  July,  in  broods, 
swimming  on  ponds ;  when  molested  they  are  very 
expert  in  eluding  pursuit,  by  scrambling  out  of  the 
water  and  hiding  closely  in  the  surrounding  herbage. 
At  this  season,  also,  the  old  birds  shed  their  flight- 
feathers  ;  they  are  for  a  time  entirely  deprived  of 
the  power  of  flying,  and  may  be  observed  skulking  in 


DAFILA   ACUTA  :    PINTAIL    OR   SPRIGTAIL    DUCK.       307 

the  rank  herbage  about  the  borders  of  the  pools,  where 
their  young  were  reared.  The  nest  is  commonly  placed 
on  the  ground  —  in  rare  instances  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree,  or  some  "stub"  projecting  from  the  water  of  a 
swamp.  The  eggs  are  creamy  or  pale  buff-colored, 
smooth  and  elliptical,  measuring  two  and  one-third 
inches  long  by  one  and  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  breadth  ; 
they  are  laid  in  May  and  June,  to  the  number  of  six, 
eight  or  ten. 

This  is  one  of  the  largest  of  the  river  Ducks,  and 
unsurpassed  in  the  excellence  of  its  flesh.  Among 
sportsmen,  its  book-name  of  "  Dusky  Duck "  is  less 
often  used  than  that  of  "  Black  Duck." 


PINTAIL  OR  SPRIGTAIL  DUCK. 
DAFILA  ACUTA   (L.)  Jen. 


FIG.  63.  —  HEAD  OF  FEMALE  SPRIGTAIL.    Nat.  size. 

Chars.  Tail  cuneate,  when  fully  developed  the  central  feathers 
much  projecting  and  nearly  equalling  the  wing  in  length  ;  much 
shorter  and  not  so  narrow  in  the  female  and  young ;  4.00  to  9.00 


308  ANATIDyE  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND   DUCKS. 

inches  long  ;  wing  i  i.oo  ;  total  length  about  24  oo.  Bill  black  and 
blue,  feet  grayish-blue  ;  head  and  upper  neck  dark  brown,  with 
green  and  purple  gloss  ;  side  of  neck  with  a  long  white  stripe  ; 
lower  neck  and  under  parts  white;  dorsal  line  of  neck  black, 
passing  into  the  gray  of  the  back,  which,  like  the  sides,  is 
vermiculated  with  black  ;  speculum  greenish-purple,  anteriorly 
bordered  by  buff  tips  of  the  greater  coverts,  elsewhere  by  black 
and  white  ;  tertials  and  scapulars  black  and  silvery.  Female  and 
young  with  the  whole  head  and  neck  speckled  or  finely  streaked 
with  dark  brown  and  grayish  or  yellowish-brown  ;  below  dusky- 
freckled  ;  above,  blackish,  all  the  feathers  pale-edged ;  only 
a  trace  of  the  speculum  between  the  white  or  whitish  tips  of  the 
greater  coverts  and  secondaries. 

A  winter  resident,  and  not  very  common;  most 
numerous  during  the  migrations,  and  particularly  in  the 
fall. 


THE  GADWALL. 

CHAULELASMUS  STREPERUS  (L.)  Gray. 

Chars.  Male  :  with  most  of  the  plumage  barred  or  half-ringed  with 
black  and  white,  or  whitish  ;  middle  wing-coverts  chestnut ; 
greater  coverts  black,  speculum  white  ;  female  known  by  these 
wing-marks.  Length,  19.00-22.50;  extent,  30.00;  wing,  10.00- 
n.oo;  bill,  1.66;  tarsus,  1.75. 

Occurring  during  the  migrations,  with  some  reg- 
ularity, but  far  from  common.  This  Duck  very  probably 
breeds  in  the  swamps  of  Maine,  though  the  fact  has  not 
been  determined.  The  eggs  are  of  the  usual  shape,  of  a 
uniform  creamy-buff  color,  and  measure  a  trifle  over  2.00 
in  length  by  about  1.50  in  breadth. 


MARECA   AMERICANA  I    AMERICAN    WIDGEON.          309 

AMERICAN  WIDGEON  ;  BALDPATE. 
MARECA  AMERICANA  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Male  :  Bill  shorter  than  head,  grayish-blue  like  the  feet  ; 
tail  I4~i6-feathered,  pointed,  but  hardly  or  not  half  as  long  as 
the  wing  ;  top  of  head  white  or  nearly  so,  plain  or  speckled,  its 
sides,  and  the  neck,  more  or  less  speckled  ;  fore  breast  light 
brownish-red  ;  belly  pure  white  ;  crissum  abruptly  black  ;  middle 
and  greater  coverts  white,  latter  black-tipped ;  speculum  green, 
black-bordered.  Head  and  neck  grayish-white,  speckled  with 
dusky  ;  top  of  head  white,  in  full  plumage,  its  sides  with  a  broad 
green  patch.  Length,  20.00-22.00;  wing,  n.oo;  tail,  5.00;  bill, 
1.33-1.50.  Female  recognizable  by  the  wing-markings. 

One  of  the  regularly  migratory  Ducks,  occurring  in 
spring  and  fall,  and  also  occasionally  during 
the  winter  months  ;  but  it  is  not  a  com- 
mon species.     Mr.   Brewster  thought  its 
recent    occurrence   inland,    about    twenty 
miles  from  the  coast,  worth  a  notice  (Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.   185).     We  have 
no  evidence  that  it  breeds  with  us.     The 
eggs    are    eight    to    twelve    in    number,          FJG 
measuring  about  2.00 X  1.50,  and  of  a  dull        WIDGEON. 
pale  buff  color. 

NOTE.  The  European  Widgeon,  Mareca  penelope,  has  been  found 
casually  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  in  localities  it  could  hardly 
have  reached  without  visiting  New  England.  But  we  have  no 
knowledge  of  its  actual  occurrence.  It  has  however  been  taken 
on  Long  Island. 


3IO  ANATID,E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

GREEN-WINGED  TEAL. 

QUERQUEDULA    CAROL1NENSIS     (Gm.)    Steph. 

Chars.  Male  :  subcrested  ;  head  and  upper  neck  chestnut,  with  a 
broad  glossy  green  band  t>n  each  side,  whitish-bordered,  uniting 
and  blackening  on  the  nape  ;  under  parts  white,  the  fore  breast 
with  circular  black  spots  ;  upper  parts  and  flanks  closely  waved 
with  blackish  and  white  ;  crissum  black,  varied  with  white  or 
creamy  ;  speculum  rich  green,  bordered  in  front  with  buffy  tips  of 
the  greater  coverts,  behind  with  white  tips  of  the  secondaries  ; 
no  blue  on  the  wing ;  bill  black ;  feet  gray.  A  conspicuous 
white  crescent  on  the  side  of  the  body  just  in  front  of  the  bend 
of  the  wing ;  scapulars  plain.  Female  differs  especially  in 
the  head-markings,  but  those  of  the  wings  are  the  same.  Small ; 
length,  14.00-15.00;  wing,  7.50;  tail,  3.50;  bill,  1.50;  tarsus, 
1.25. 

These  small  and  elegant  Ducks,  notable  both  for  the 
beauty  of  their  plumage  and  the  excellence  of  their 
flesh,  are  among  the  commonest  of  the 
'migratory  species.  They  sometimes  ap- 
pear in  March,  but  more  numerously  in 
April,  and  are  among  the  earliest  to  re- 
turn in  the  fall,  sometimes  even  appear- 
ing in  August,  and  always  by  September. 
The  nest  is  placed  upon  the  ground,  built 
of  hay  and  lined  with  feathers  ;  the  eggs 
FIG. 65. -GREEN-  are  about  eight  in  number,  pale  dull  green- 

WINGED  TEAL.      ....  .  /• 

ish  in  color,  measuring  from    1.75  to  1.90 
in  length  by  1.20  to  1.30  in  breadth. 

NOTE.  The  European  Teal,  Q.  crecca,  has  been  erroneously  attrib- 
uted to  New  England  (see  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  v,  1855,  p.  195  ;  Bull. 
Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  pp.  13  and  46 ;  Bull.  Essex  Inst,  x,  1878, 
P-  34). 


QUERQUEDULA    DISCORS  :    BLUE-WINGED    TEAL.      3!  I 

BLUE-WINGED  TEAL. 
QUERQUEDULA   DISCORS  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Wing-coverts  in  both  sexes  sky-blue,  the  greater  white- 
tipped  ;  speculum  green,  white-tipped  ;  axillars  and  most  under 
wing-coverts  white  ;  scapulars  striped  with  tawny  and  blue  (not 
in  the  female)  or  dark  green  ;  fore  back  barred  ;  rump  and  tail 
dark,  plain  ;  crissum  dark  or  black  ;  bill  black  ;  feet  not  dark- 
Head  and  neck  of  the  male  blackish-plumbeous,  darkest  on  the 
crown,  usually  with  purplish  iridescence  ;  a  white  crescent  in 
front  of  the  eye  ;  under  parts  thickly  dark-spotted.  Female  with 
head  and  neck  altogether  different ;  under  parts  much  paler  and 
obscurely  spotted  ;  but  known  by  the  wing-markings  from  any 
other  species.  Length,  15.00-16.00;  wing,  7.00;  tail,  3.00;  tar- 
sus, 1.25  ;  bill,  1.50-1.67. 

This  kind  of  Teal  occurs  with  us  under  the  same 
circumstances  as  the  Green-Winged  does,  but  is  less 
numerous.  Mr.  Allen  speaks  of  its  having  formerly 
been,  doubtless,  a  summer  resident  ;  but  we  have  no 
late  records  of  its  breeding  in  New  England. 


SHOVELLER  ;  BROAD-BILL. 
SPATULA  CLYPEATA  (Z.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Head  and  neck  glossy-green  ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts 
black,  faintly  glossed  ;  breast  and  forward  under  parts  white  ; 
belly  dark  violet-red  ;  under  tail-coverts  black  ;  more  or  less  white 
on  the  wing,  shoulders,  and  along  the  posterior  parts  ;  wing- 
coverts  and  tertials  blue,  more  or  less  tipped  with  white  ;  specu- 
lum green,  bordered  with  a  stripe  of  black  and  then  of  white. 
Female  darker  or  duller  ;  head  and  neck  reddish,  darker  below. 
Bill  enlarged  at  end,  nearly  black.  Legs  and  feet  red.  Iris 
orange-red.  Length,  19.00-20.00  ;  extent,  nearly  30.00  ;  wing, 
9.00-9.75;  bill,  20.00  or  less  ;  tarsus,  1.40. 


312  ANATID^:  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

This  Duck,  of  singular  figure  and  greatly  varied 
plumage,  is  a  rare  migrant,  chiefly  along  the  coast.  "  It 
was  formerly,"  says  Mr.  Allen,  "judging from  its  breed- 
ing range  in  the  interior,  a  frequent  summer  resident." 
This  probability  is  strengthened  by  the  fact  that, 
according  to  Dr.  Merriam,  the  Shoveller  has  been  taken 
in  Connecticut  in  July  and  August,  as  well  as  in 
December.  It  decreases  in  numbers  from  Connecticut 
northward  and  eastward. 

The  eggs  are  eight  or  more  in  number,  measuring  on 
an  average  2.10  in  length  by  1.20  in  breadth,  and  are 
uniform  dull  pale  greenish-gray. 


SUMMER,  OR  WOOD   DUCK. 
Aix  SPONSA   (L.)  Boie. 

Chars.  Head  crested,  metallic  green  and  purple  ;  line  above  and 
behind  eye,  white  ;  throat  white  also  ;  above,  coppery  black  with 
a  gloss  of  green  and  purple  ;  beneath  white,  throat  and  upper 
part  of  breast  chestnut ;  sides  buffy,  very  finely  variegated 
with  black  ;  scapulars  black ;  a  white  crescent  in  front  of  the 
shoulder  bordered  also  with  black ;  coverts  and  quills  with  more 
or  fewer  tips  and  shades  of  white  and  purple.  Female :  chest- 
nut of  neck  detached  and  dull ;  sides  not  striped,  head  and  neck 
dull.  Bill  reddish,  edges  dusky.  Legs  and  feet  yellowish.  Iris 
red.  Length,  19.00;  extent,  27.50;  wing,  9.00;  bill,  1.40;  tar- 
sus, 1.50. 

This,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  Ducks,  arrayed  in 
a  plumage  well-named  "  bridal,"  is  a  common  summer 
resident,  arriving  in  March  and  remaining  into  October. 
It  is  remarkable  among  Anatidce  for  nesting  in  holes 
in  trees,  the  last  place  one  would  expect  a  Duck  to  select. 


FULIGULA    MARILA  :    GREATER    SCAUP    DUCK.        313 

The  habit,  however,  is  not  peculiar,  for  some  of  the 
Fuligtilina  do  the  same  thing.  The  eggs  are  about 
a  dozen  in  number,  measuring  2.00  X  1.50,  of  a  dark 
color,  and  are  laid  upon  a  bed  of  hay  and  feathers.  The 


FIG.  66.  — WOOD  DUCK. 


bird  is  the  most  characteristic  Duck  of  New  England, 
excepting  the  Dusky  Duck;  and  is  found  generally 
distributed  wherever  there  are  suitable  breeding-places, 
being  by  no  means  peculiar  to  the  coast. 


GREATER  SCAUP  DUCK. 

FULIGULA  MARILA  (L.)  Stcph. 

Chars.  Male  :  head,  neck,  and  body  anteriorly  black,  the  former 
glossy ;  lower  back,  rump,  and  tail  blackish.  Below,  white,  the 
sides  and  lower  belly  finely  waved  with  black.  Speculum  white  ; 
back  and  sides  zigzagged  with  white  ;  no  colored  ring  around 
neck.  Bill  and  feet  bluish,  former  with  black  nail.  Female  : 


314         ANATIM:  :  SWANS,  GEESE,  AND  DUCKS. 

head  and  anterior  parts  of  the  body  brown,  and  other  parts  which 
are  black  in  the  male  here  brownish.  Region  about  base  of  bill 
white.  Length  about  20.00  ;  extent,  29.00 ;  wing,  9.00  ;  bill,  2.10  ; 
tarsus,  1.50. 

One  of  the  winter  residents  along  the  coast,  rather 
common  at  that  season,  but,  as  usual  with  birds  of  this 
family,  more  numerous  during  the  migrations,  when 
those  that  have  wintered  farther  south,  or  bred  in 
the  high  north,  pass  through  New  England.  It  is  an 
expert  diver,  and  usually  found  in  flocks  of  considerable 
size.  

LESSER   SCAUP  DUCK. 

FULIGULA    AFFINIS  EytOH. 

Chars.  Very  like  the  last ;  gloss  of  head  purplish  rather  than 
green  ;  flanks  and  scapulars  less  closely  vermiculated  ?  Size 
less ;  length  about  16.00 ;  wing,  8.00.  Difficult  to  define 
specifically,  and  perhaps  only  a  variety  of  the  last ;  it  appears, 
however,  to  preserve  certain  distinctions,  though  constantly 
associated  with  F.  marila. 

This  Duck  is  doubtfully  a  distinct  species  from  the 
last,  with  which  it  is  found  associated,  occurring  under 
the  same  circumstances.  Both  are  properly  sea-ducks, 
though  occasionally  found  inland. 


RING-NECK  SCAUP  DUCK. 
FULIGULA   COLLARIS    (Donov.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Male :  resembling  the  last  two  species ;  back  nearly 
uniform  blackish  ;  an  orange-brown  ring  round  the  neck  ; 
speculum  gray  ;  bill  black,  pale  at  base  and  tip.  Female  :  no 


FULIGULA    FERINA    AMERICANA:    RED-HEAD    DUCK.       315 

collar ;  head  and  neck  brown,  but  loral  space,  chin,  and  eye-ring 
white.  In  size  between  the  other  two  foregoing  species  of 
Fuligula. 

Another  spring  and  autumn  visitant,  not  common. 
This  is  its  proper  category,  though  it  may  be  occasionally 
found  in  winter,  and  is  known  to  breed  in  Maine,  where 
Mr.  Boardman  has  found  it  in  summer,  near  Calais  (Am. 
Nat.,  v,  1871,  p.  12 1).  As  to  its  rarity  in  Maine,  how- 
ever, see  Brown,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  190. 


RED-HEAD  DUCK;   POCHARD. 
FULIGULA  FERINA   AMERICANA  (Eyt.}  Cones. 

Chars.  Male  :  head  and  neck  chestnut-red,  rich  and  pure,  with 
bronzy  reflections.  Body  anteriorly,  rump  and  tail-coverts, 
black ;  back  mixed  silvery-gray  and  black  in  about  equal 
amounts  ;  the  dark  vermiculations  unbroken  ;  speculum  bluish-ash. 
Female  :  head  plumbeous-brown ;  black  parts  of  the  male  dark 
brown  ;  vermiculations  less  distinct.  In  both  sexes,  bill  dull 
blue  with  a  black  belt  at  end,  broad  and  depressed,  two  inches  or 
less  in  length  ;  not  rising  high  on  the  forehead,  the  nostrils 
within  its  basal  half;  head  very  puffy,  the  forehead  convexly 
coming  down  to  bill ;  extent  of  red  on  the  neck  less  than  in  the 
canvas-back.  Length  about  20.00  ;  extent,  29.00  ;  wing,  9.00- 
10.00 ;  tarsus,  1.70. 

Chiefly  a  migrant,  and  rather  rare.'  It,  however, 
breeds  in  Maine,  according  to  Mr.  Boardman  (Am.  Nat., 
v,  1871,  p.  662).  It  is  very  frequently  offered  for  sale  as 
canvas-back,  but  there  should  be  no  difficulty  in  dis- 
criminating the  two  species  by  the  shape  of  the  bill  and 
the  color  of  the  head. 


3l6  ANATIDJE  '.   SWANS,    GEESE,    AND   DUCKS. 

CANVAS-BACK  DUCK. 

FULIGULA   VALLISNERIA     (WHs.)    Steph. 

Chars.  Resembling  the  Red-head,  but  easily  distinguished  by  the 
bill  and  head.  Bill  blackish,  high  at  the  base  and  narrow 
throughout,  not  shorter  than  head,  2.  50  inches  long  or  more,  the 
nostril's  at  its  middle ;  head  much  obscured  with  dusky ;  black 
waved  lines  of  the  back  sparse  and  much  broken  up  into  dots, 
the  whitish  thus  predominating.  North  America,  especially 
abundant  along  the  middle  Atlantic  Coast  in  winter,  where  from 
feeding  on  the  wild  celery  (Vallisneria)  its  flesh  acquires  a 
peculiar  flavor,  though  it  is  not  particularly  excellent  under  other 
circumstances. 


FIG.  67.  —  CANVAS-BACK  DUCK. 

Occurring  with  the  last,  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. Though  its  breeding  with  us  has  not  been 
determined,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  bird  will  probably 
yet  be  found  nesting  in  the  swamps  of  Maine.  In  the 
West,  it  is  known  to  breed  within  the  limits  of  the 
United  States,  as  for  example  on  the  Turtle  Mountain, 
in  Dakota,  where  Dr.  Coues  found  it  nesting  in  1873. 


CLANGULA    GLAUCIUM  I    GOLDEN-EYED   DUCK.         317 

GOLDEN-EYED   DUCK;  WHISTLER. 
CLANGULA  GLAUCIUM  (L.)  Brehm. 

Chars.  Male :  with  the  head  puffy,  dark-colored,  iridescent,  with 
large  white  patches  ;  lower  neck  all  around,  under  parts,  includ- 
ing sides,  most  of  the  scapulars,  wing-coverts  and  secondaries, 
white  ;  lining  of  wings  and  axillars  dark ;  most  of  upper  parts 
black  ;  no  waving  on  back  and  sides.  Female  with  the  head  less 
puffy,  brown  or  dark  gray,  with  traces  of  the  white  patches,  or 
not ;  somewhat  less  white  on  the  wings  ;  fore  breast  and  sides 
with  gray,  the  feathers  paler-edged.  Bill  much  shorter  than 
head,  very  high  at  the  base,  tapering,  with  median  nostrils. 
Male  with  the  head  and  upper  neck  glossy  dark  green,  and 
a  white  oval  or  rounded  loral  spot,  not  touching  the  base  of  the 
bill  throughout ;  white  continuous  on  outer  surface  of  wing  ;  bill 
black,  with  pale  or  yellow  end  ;  feet  orange  ;  webs  dusky;  eyes 
yellow.  Length,  16.00-19.00  ;  extent,  about  28.00 ;  wing,  8.00- 
9.00  ;  bill,  1.25  ;  tarsus,  1.75. 

The  Golden-eye  is  resident  in  New  England.  It  is 
chiefly  known  in  its  character  of  a  winter  visitant,  but  it 
breeds  in  Maine,  as  attested  both  by  Mr.  Boardman  and 
Mr.  Deane.  The  latter  speaks  of  a  nest,  containing 
eight  eggs,  placed  in  a  hollow  stump  at  Lake  Umbagog, 
and  its  nidification  would  appear  to  be  usually  arboreal. 


BARROW'S   GOLDEN-EYE  ;   ROCKY   MOUN- 
TAIN  GARROT. 

CLANGULA  ISLANDICA  (Gm.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Very  similar  to  the  last ;  gloss  of  head  purplish  and  violet ; 
the  loral  spot  larger,  triangular  or  crescentic,  applied  against  the 
whole  side  of  the  bill  at  base  ;  white  on  surface  of  wing  divided 


3l8  ANATID.E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

by  a  dark  bar ;  rather  larger  than  the  last ;  length,  19.00-22.00  ; 
wing,  9.00-10.00  ;  occipital  feathers  lengthening  into  a  slight 
crest ;  bill  shoiter.  Female  probably  not  distinguishable  with 
certainty  from  that  of  the  foregoing,  unless  by  the  dark  bar  on 
the  wing. 

A  winter  resident,  rare  and  scarcely  more  than 
casual,  in  most  parts  of  New  England.  It  is,  however, 
spoken  of  by  Mr.  Boardman  as  occurring  in  summer  in 
Maine,  and  Dr.  Brewer  so  marks  the  species  in  his  list, 
doubtless  upon  this  authority.  It  may  not  be  so  scarce 
as  it  is  supposed  to  be  on  the  Maine  coast,  seeing  how 
likely  it  is  to  be  confounded  with  C.  glaucium  by  the 
gunners.  It  is  so  rare  in  southern  New  England  as  to 
have  been  only  recently  added  to  the  Massachusetts 
fauna  by  actual  capture  of  a  specimen  on  Cape  Cod, 
Dec.  7,  1870,  as  noted  by  Mr.  Brewster  (Am.  Nat.,  vi, 
1872,  p.  306),  who  adds  that  he  has  also  seen  numbers 
in  the  Boston  markets,  mostly  from  the  same  State. 
A  Connecticut  case  is  reported  by  Dr.  Merriam ;  that 
of  an  adult  male  in  possession  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Sage,  of 
Portland,  who  purchased  it  Nov.  14,  1867,  from  a  man 
who  said  it  had  been  killed  on  the  Sound  (Rev.  B. 
Conn.,  1877,  p.  126). 


BUFFLE-HEAD   DUCK. 

CLANGULA  ALBEOLA  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Pattern  of  coloration  of  the  foregoing.  Male  with  the  head 
particularly  puffy,  of  varied  rich  iridescence,  with  a  large  white 
auricular  patch  confluent  with  its  fellow  on  the  nape.  Small ; 
14.00-16.00;  extent,  22.50 ;  wing,  6.00-7.00;  bill  about  i.oo, 
with  nostrils  in  basal  half;  female  still  smaller,  an  insignificant 
looking  duck,  with  head  scarcely  puffy,  dark  gray,  with  traces  of 
the  auricular  patch. 


HARELDA    GLACIALIS  :    LONG-TAILED    DUCK.          319 

A  common  winter  resident,  arriving  in  October,  and 
remaining  into  April.  "The  Buffle-head  is  not  often 
seen  in  the  United  States,  except  from  fall  to  spring ;  as 
it  usually  retires  to  high  latitudes  to  breed,  as  along  the 
Yukon  and  elsewhere  in  boreal  America,  its  nidification 
is  consequently  not  generally  known.  A  set  of  fourteen 
eggs  taken,  the  accompanying  label  states,  from  a 
feathery  nest  in  a  dead  poplar,  some  distance  from  the 
ground,  furnishes  the  following  description :  Shape, 
perfectly  ellipsoidal;  size,  slightly  over  2.00  inches  in 
length  by  1.50  in  breadth;  color,  a  peculiar  tint,  just 
between  rich  creamy-white  and  grayish-olive,  unvaried 
by  markings.  Other  eggs  are  described  as  being  about 
1.67  long  by  1.25  broad,  and  buff-colored"  (Coues,  Birds 
Northwest,  1874,  p.  578). 


LONG-TAILED    DUCK. 
HARELDA  GLACIALIS  (L.)  Leach. 

Chars.  Tail  of  fourteen  narrow  pointed  feathers,  in  the  male  in 
summer  the  central  ones  very  slender  and  much  elongated, 
nearly  or  quite  equalling  the  whig  ;  nail  of  bill  occupying  the 
whole  tip  ;  seasonal  changes  remarkable.  Male  in  summer 
with  the  back  and  the  long,  narrowly  lanceolate  scapulars  varied 
with  reddish-brown,  wanting  in  winter,  when  this  color  is  ex- 
changed for  pearly-gray  or  white ;  general  color  blackish  or 
very  dark  brown,  below  from  the  breast  abruptly  white  ;  no 
white  on  the  wing ;  sides  of  head  plumbeous-gray  ;  in  winter, 
the  head,  neck  and  body  anteriorly,  white,  but  the  gray  cheek- 
patch  persistent,  and  a  large  dark  patch  below  this  ;  bill  at  all 
seasons  black,  broadly  orange-barred.  Female  without  length- 
ened scapulars  or  tail-feathers,  the  bill  dusky  greenish,  and 
otherwise  different,  but  recognized  by  presence  of  head  and 


32O    ANATIM::  SWANS,  GEESE,  AND  DUCKS. 

neck  patches,  and  absence  of  white  on  the  wing.  Length,  15.00- 
20.00,  or  more,  according  to  tail ;  extent,  28.00 ;  wing,  8.00- 
9.00;  bill,  i.io;  tarsus,  1.50. 

An  abundant  winter  resident  all  along  the  coast,  and 
even  more  numerous  during  the  migrations,  arriving  in 
October,  and  remaining  until  April.  The  following  in- 
teresting paragraph  is  cited  from  Dr.  Merriam  :  "  This 
is  by  far  the  most  abundant  species  of  Duck  found  along 
our  coast,  and  during  the  migrations  (notably  in  Novem- 
ber) hundreds  of  thousands  of  them  can  be  seen  on  the 
Sound,  covering  the  waters  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach 
in  every  direction,  and  almost  deafening  one  by  their 
constant,  and  to  my  ears  not  altogether  unpleasant, 
cackle.  They  are  continually  on  the  move,  and,  notwith- 
standing their  immense  numbers,  it  is  no  easy  task  to 
approach  within  gunshot  of  the  flock.  Though  as  strictly 
maritime  as  any  of  our  ducks,  they  have  occasionally 
strayed  so  far  into  the  interior  as  Ohio  (Wheaton).  Mr. 
Grinnell  tells  me  that  they  occasionally  breed  here,  but 
these  may  be  wounded  birds,  — '  pensioners,'  as  they 
are  commonly  called"  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p.  126).  Mr. 
H.  Herrick  thinks  they  may  breed  at  Grand  Menan, 
N.  B.,  where  he  has  known  them  to  be  shot  June  18 
(Bull.  Essex  Inst,  v,  1873). 


LABRADOR   OR   PIED   DUCK. 
CAMPTOL^EMUS  LABRADORIUS  (Gm.)  Gray. 

Chars.  Bill  enlarged  towards  end  by  membraneous  expansion,  the 
nostrils  in  its  basal  third  ;  cheek-feathers  rigid.  Male  with  the 
body  and  primaries  black ;  rest  of  the  wing,  with  neck  and 


CAMPTOL^MUS    LABRADORIUS  :    LABRADOR   DUCK.       321 

head,  white,  with  a  black  collar  and  lengthwise  coronal  stripe. 
Female  plumbeous  gray.  About  2  feet  long ;  extent,  32.50  ; 
wing,  9.00. 

One  of  the  earliest  notices  of  this  rather  celebrated 
duck,  a  portrait  of  which  adorns  the  title-page  of  Pen- 
nant's Arctic  Zoology,  published  in  1785,  speaks  of  it 


FIG.  68.  —  LABRADOR  DUCK. 


as  having  been  sent  from  Connecticut  to  Mrs.  Black- 
burn, an  English  lady  best  known  to  our  ornithologists 
by  the  association  of  her  name  with  one  of  our  most 
beautiful  Warblers.  The  Duck  appears  to  have  formerly 
been  a  common  bird,  but  it  has  become  exceedingly 
rare,  and  the  species  is  supposed  to  be  near  extinction. 


322  ANATIDjE  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

Mr.  Allen,  in  his  Review  of  "  G.  D.  Rowley's  mono- 
graphic essay  on  the  Labrador  or  Pied  Duck,"  says  : 
"  While  apparently  of  rather  frequent  occurrence  along 
the  Atlantic  coast,  as  far  south  at  least  as  Long  Island, 
New  Jersey,  and  Delaware,  fifty  to  thirty  years  ago,  it 
has  of  late  been  rarely  observed,  and  few  specimens 
appear. to  have  been  taken  since  1868.  Its  last  recorded 
capture,  as  appears  from  a  letter  from  Mr.  George  N. 
Lawrence,  published  in'  Mr.  Rowley's  paper,  seems  to 
have  occurred  "in  the  fall  of  1874,"  when  a  specimen 
was  obtained  by  Mr.  J.  Wallace,  from  Long  Island,  from 
which  source  the  same  gentleman  had  obtained  four  or 
five  others  during  the  five  previous  years.  All  were 
females  or  immature  males,  and  only  one  adult  male  is 
known  to  have  been  taken  in  the  last  twenty  years." 
He  adds  that  the  number  of  specimens  known  to  be 
extant  are  "  only  thirty-three,  of  which  about  twenty  are 
preserved  in  different  collections  in  the  United  States, 
and  the  remainder  in  European  museums.  About  one- 
half  are  adult  males,  and  most  of  the  remainder  adult 
females.  The  localities,  so  far  as  known,  are  Long  Island, 
N.  Y.,  thirteen  specimens  ;  Calais,  Me.,  two  ;  Halifax  har- 
bor, one ;  '  Labrador,  one ' ;  and  one  is  recorded  from 
Delhi,  Michigan,  eighteen  in  all,  leaving  fifteen  from 
unknown  localities"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  79). 

Dr.  Brewer  remarks  that  the  Pied  Duck  was  "abun- 
dant" in  Boston  market  from  that  vicinity  in  1836-37 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  46).  Mr.  Boardman  speaks 
of  its  being  formerly  common  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy 
(Forest  and  Stream,  vi,  1876,  p.  181  ;  see  also  Am.  Nat., 
iii,  1869,  p.  383).  Three  individuals  are  noted  in  Nova 
Scotia  in  1850  (Orn.  and  Ool.,  vii,  1882,  p.  122).  Mr. 
H.  Herrick  speaks  of  a  male  shot  in  April,  1871,  at 


HISTRIONICUS    MINUTUS  :    HARLEQUIN   DUCK.         323 

Grand  Menan,  N.  B.  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  v,  1873,  p.  13  of 
separate  issues).  We  may  also  refer  to  the  record  given 
by  Dr.  W.  H.  Gregg,  of  the  occurrence  of  the  rare  bird 
near  Elmira,  Chemung  Co.,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  12,  1878  (Am. 
Nat.,  xiii,  1879,  P-  I28)- 


HARLEQUIN   DUCK. 

HISTRIONICUS  MINUTUS  (L.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Bill  very  small  and  short,  with  a  membraneous  lobe  at 
base,  rapidly  tapering  to  tip,  which  is  wholly  occupied  by  the 
fused  nail.  Tertiaries  curly;  plumage  singularly  patched  with 
different  colors.  Male :  deep  leaden  bluish,  browner  below  ; 
sides  of  head,  and  of  body  behind,  chestnut ;  coronal  stripe  and 
tail  black ;  a  white  patch  at  base  of  bill,  one  on  side  of  occi- 
put, of  breast,  and  of  tail ;  two  transverse  ones  on  neck  nearly 
forming  a  collar,  and  several  on  wings ;  a  white  jugular  collar. 
Speculum  violet-purple.  Female  :  dark  brown,  pale  below, 
whitening  on  belly ;  a  white  patch  on  auriculars  and  before  eye. 
Length,  15.00-18.00;  extent,  27.00;  wing,  8.00;  bill,  i.oo;  tar- 
sus, 1.40. 

An  extremely  rare  winter  visitor.  Mr.  Boardman 
remarks :  "  A  few  apparently  somewhat  disabled  indi- 
viduals breed  on  the  islands,"  that  is,  on  the  Maine 
coast  and  about  the  bay  of  Fundy.  Mr.  Purdie  re- 
cords the  species  from  Hampton,  N.  H.,  Nov.,  1872. 
Mr.  Allen  gives  it  as  a  "winter  visitor;  not  common." 
There  is  no  doubt  that  it  still  occurs  irregularly  on  our 
coast,  though  much  more  rarely  than  in  former  days. 
Mr.  Merriam  does  not  give  it  from  Connecticut,  and  I 
can  find  no  recent  records  of  its  capture.  Mr.  Herrick 
says  of  it  at  Grand  Menan  :  "  Common  in  winter.  It 
is  noted  among  gunners  for  its  diving  propensities,  it 


324  ANATID.E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

being  almost  impossible  to  shoot  one  sitting  on  the 
water,  as  they  go  under  at  the  flash.  I  do  not  think  it 
breeds  now,  though  it  may  have  done  so  in  years  past." 
See  Brewer,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  46  ;  Allen,  Bull. 
Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  27 ;  Boardman,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix, 
1862,  p.  130. 


EIDER   DUCK. 

SOMATERIA    MOLLISSIMA    DRESSERI    (Skarpe)   CoiteS. 

Chars.  Bill  not  feathered  to  the  nostrils,  with  long  club-shaped 
processes  extending  in  a  line  with  the  culmen  upon  the  sides  of 
the  forehead,  divided  by  a  broad  feathered  interspace.  Male  in 
breeding  attire  white,  creamy-tinted  on  breast,  and  washed  with 
green  on  head  ;  under  parts  from  the  breast,  lower  back,  rump, 
tail,  quills,  and  large  forked  patch  on  the  crown,  black.  Female 
with  the  bill  less  developed ;  general  plumage  an  extremely  vari- 
able shade  of  reddish-brown  or  ochrey-brown,  speckled,  mottled 
and  barred  with  darker  ;  male  in  certain  stages  resembling  the 
female.  Length,  about  2  feet ;  extent,  35.00  ;  wing,  11.00-12.00  ; 
bill  of  male,  3.00;  tarsus,  1.75. 

This  celebrated  bird,  semi-domesticated  in  some 
places,  yields  most  of  the  prized  eider-down  of  com- 
merce, which  the  parent  plucks  from  the  breast  to 
cover  the  eggs. 

Though  given  in  Dr.  Brewer's  catalogue  of  1875  only 
as  a  "winter  visitant,"  the  Eider  Duck  is  resident  in 
New  England,  breeding  sparingly  on  the  Maine  coast 
eastward  (Boardman,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  130),  and 
in  winter  extending  its  range  beyond  Connecticut.  Mr. 
Purdie  informs  us  that  to  his  knowledge  it  nests  on 
the  Maine  coast  at  least  as  far  westward  as  Mt.  Desert. 


SOMATERIA    MOLLISSIMA    DRESSERI  I    EIDER   DUCK.       32$ 

It  is  exclusively  maritime,  and  not  abundant  at  any 
season,  though  very  common  further  east  and  north, 
being  one  of  the  most  characteristic  summer  birds  of- 
Labrador  and  Newfoundland.  The  nest  is  built  on  the 


FIG.  69. —  EIDER  DUCKS. 

ground,  and  consists  chiefly  of  mosses,  lichens,  hay,  and 
seaweed,  to  which  are  added  the  feathers  which  the  bird 
plucks  for  that  purpose ;  the  eggs  are  six  to  ten  in 
number,  but  often  fewer,  plain  dull  greenish:drab,  meas- 
uring about  3.00  by  2.00.  They  are  laid  usually  in 
June  and  the  early  part  of  July. 


326  ANATID.E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND   DUCKS. 


KING  EIDER  DUCK. 

SOMATERIA   SPECTABILIS    (L.) 

Chars.  Bill  with  broad,  squarish,  nearly  vertical  frontal  processes 
bulging  angularly  out  of  line  with  the  culmen  proper.  Male 
in  breeding  attire  black,  including  a  forked  chin-patch,  a  frontal 
band,  and  space  around  eye.  Neck  and  fore  parts  of  the  body, 
part  of  the  interscapulars,  of  the  wing-coverts,  and  of  lining 
of  wings,  together  with  a  flank  patch,  white  ;  creamy  on  the 
jugulum  ;  greenish  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  the  crown  and.  nape 
fine  bluish-ash.  Female  resembling  that  of  the  common  Eider, 
but  bill  differently  shaped.  Size  of  the  last,  or  rather  less. 

A  rare  winter  visitor  along  our  whole  coast.  Linsley 
speaks  of  two  Connecticut  examples,  Giraud  gives  the 
bird  as  from  Long  Island,  and  Coues  ascribes  a  range 
from  the  Arctic  coast  to  New  York.  A  copy  of  Board- 
man's  Calais  list  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Purdie  is 
annotated  in  manuscript  with  the  remark,  that  the 
King  Eider  breeds  in  that  vicinity.  Allen  notes  what 
appears  to  have  been  an  irruption  of  King  Eiders  on 
Lake  Erie,  near  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  November,  1879, 
when  at  least  eighteen  individuals  were  shot. 


AMERICAN  BLACK  SCOTER. 

CEDEMIA    AMERICANA     (WHs.)    Sw. 

Chars.  Bill  scarcely  encroached  upon  by  the  frontal  feathers, 
shorter  than  the  head,  the  gibbosity  superior,  circumscribed, 
orange  (male) ;  nostrils  at  its  middle  ;  tail  normally  16- 
feathered.  Plumage  of  male  entirely  black.  Female  sooty- 
brown,  paler  below,  becoming  grayish-white  on  the  belly, 


CEDEMIA    AMERICANA  I    VELVET    DUCK. 


327 


there  dusky-speckled,  on  the  sides  and  flanks  dusky-waved ; 
throat  and  sides  of  head  mostly  continuous  whitish  ;  bill  all 
black  ;  feet  livid  olivaceous,  with  black  webs.  Male  nearly  2 
feet  long;  wing  about  10  inches;  female  18.00-19.00  inches; 
wing,  8.00-9.00;  gape,  2.00;  culmen,  1.75.  Differs  from  the 
European  in  the  shape  and  coloration  of  the  protuberance  on  the 
bill. 


FIG.  70. —  FEMALE  BLACK  SCOTER,  WITH  OUTLINE  OF  BILL  FROM  BELOW. 

A  winter  resident  along  the  coast,  not  very  common, 
but  more  so  during  the  autumnal  and  vernal  migrations. 
Like  the  rest  of  the  genus  it  is  a  sea-duck,  occurring 
inland  only  exceptionally  or  upon  the  larger  bodies 
of  water. 


VELVET  DUCK:   WHITE-WINGED 
SCOTER. 

CEDEMIA    FUSCA     (Z.)    SlV. 

Chars.  Bill  broadly  encroached  upon  by  the  frontal  feathers, 
on  the  culmen  nearly  or  quite  to  the  nostrils,  and  on  its  sides  to 
a  less  extent,  shorter  than  head,  black,  broadly  orange-tipped 


328  ANATID^E  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND    DUCKS. 

(male) ;  nail  broad  and  truncate  ;  gibbosity  superior,  circum- 
scribed. Male  black,  with  a  large  white  wing-patch,  and  another 
under  the  eye  ;  feet  orange-red,  with  dusky  webs.  Size  of  the 
the  last,  or  rather  larger.  Female  smaller,  sooty-brown,  pale 
grayish  below,  with  much  whitish  about  head,  but  showing  white 
speculum ;  bill  all  black.  Said  to  differ  from  the  European 
by  greater  encroachment  of  feathers  on  bill,  but  the  ascribed 
feature  is  not  tangible. 

This  is  the  most  numerous  of  the  three  species  of  the 
genus,  occurring  as  a  winter  visitant,  and  still  more 
abundantly  during  the  migrations.  It  usually  appears 
during  the  latter  part  of  September,  and  works  its  way 
southward  by  October,  some  individuals  remaining  until 
well  into  May  of  ttie  following  spring.  It  is  strictly 
maritime,  only  exceptionally  seen  away  from  the  coast. 
It  would  appear  that  during  the  migrations  the  old 
birds,  or  perhaps  the  old  males,  move  apart  from  the 
others.  The  bill  being  differently  shaped  and  colored  in 
these  cases,  some  gunners  have  supposed  that  there 
is  more  than  one  species.  All  the  members  of  this 
genus  are  often  called  "Coots,"  or  "Sea-Coots,"  with 
other  epithets  designating  the  different  species. 


SURF  DUCK;   SEA-COOT. 

CEDEMIA   PERSPICILLATA    (L.)    Step/I. 

Chars.  Bill  narrowly  encroached  upon  by  the  frontal  feathers,  on 
the  culmen  nearly  or  quite  to  the  nostrils,  but  not  at  all  upon  its 
sides,  about  as  long  as  head,  with  the  nail  narrowed  anteriorly, 
the  swelling  lateral  as  well  as  superior ;  nostrils  beyond  its 
middle  ;  bill  of  male  orange-red,  whitish  on  the  sides,  with  a 
large  circular  black  base.  Plumage  of  male  black,  with  a  white 


CEDEMIA   PERSPICILLATA  :    SURF    DUCK.  329 

patch  on  forehead  and  another  on  nape  ;  none  on  the  wing.  Size 
of  CE.  americanaj  gape  of  bill  about  2.50.  Female  smaller  ;  bill 
black,  shorter,  gape  about  2.25  ;  feathers  of  culmen  hardly  or  not 
reaching  nostrils  ;  feet  dark,  tinged  with  dusky-reddish ;  webs 
black ;  plumage  sooty-brown,  below  silvery-gray,  sides  of  head 
with  much  whitish,  chiefly  in  two  patches,  one  loral,  the  other 
auricular. 


FIG.  71.  — YOUNG  MALE  SURF  DUCK,  WITH  OUTLINE  OF  BILL  FROM  BELOW. 

A  migrant  and  winter  visitant,  in  numbers  interme- 
diate between  those  of  the  other  species  of  the  genus, 
the  circumstances  of  its  appearance,  however,  being  the 
same.  Dr.  Brewer  notes  them  all  as  "  migratory  "  only, 
ignoring  their  winter  residence.  Any  of  them  may  be 
casually  found  during  the  whole  year  ;  but  none  appear 
to  be  properly  estimable  as  summer  residents  or  breed- 
ers in  New  England. 


33O  ANATID^E  :   SWANS,    GEESE,    AND   DUCKS. 

RUDDY   DUCK. 

ERISMATURA  RUBIDA  (Wils.)  Bp. 

Chars.  Remarkably  distinguished  from  other  Fuligulina  by  the 
stiffened,  linear-lanceolate  tail-feathers  (sixteen  to  twenty  in 
number),  exposed  to  the  base  by  reason  of  extreme  shortness 
of  the  coverts ;  bill  broad,  flattened,  the  nail  large,  overhang- 
ing. The  male  in  perfect  plumage  with  the  neck  all  round  and 
the  upper  parts  brownish-red,  the  lower  parts  silky  silvery-white 
watered  with  dusky,  the  chin  and  sides  of  the  head  dead-white, 
the  crown  and  nape  black  ;  but  not  often  seen  in  this  condition 
in  the  United  States.  As  generally  observed,  and  the  female 
at  all  times,  brown  above,  finely  dotted  and  waved  with  dusky, 
paler  and  duller  below,  with  darker  undulations,  and  sometimes 
a  slight  tawny  tinge,  as  also  occurs  on  the  sides  of  the  head ; 
crown  and  nape  dark  brown  ;  bill  dusky  ;  crissum  always  white. 

Common,  chiefly  in  the  character  of  a  migrant,  in 
spring  and  fall.  As  correctly  given  by  Allen,  for  Massa- 
chusetts, it  is  a  winter  visitant,  and  Cones  remarks  that 
some  individuals  may  breed  in  northern  New  England, 
while  Brewer  only  gives  it  as  a  migratory  species.  Mr. 
Hiram  Cutting  saw  an  old  bird  and  three  young  at 
Lake  Memphremagog,  in  Vermont,  where  it  probably 
bred. 


ST.  DOMINGO   DUCK. 

NOMONYX    DOMINICA    (L.)    Ridg. 

Chars.  Male  :  head  anteriorly  and  chin  black  ;  hind-head,  neck, 
and  breast  deep  ferruginous  ;  above,  brownish-red,  blotched 
with  black;  below,  lighter  ferruginous;  speculum  white.  Fe- 
male similar,  but  less  strongly  marked.  Length,  13  50  ;  wing, 
6.25  ;  tail,-  3.75  ;  bill,  1.33,  smaller  and  less  expanded  than  in 
the  preceding. 


NOMONYX  DOMINICA:  ST.  DOMINGO  DUCK.        331 

South  America  and  West  Indies,  -accidental  in  the 
United  States.  The  only  known  instances  are  Lake 
Champlain  (Cabot,  Proc.  B.  S.  N.  H.,  vi,  375) ;  Wiscon- 
sin (Kumlein ;  ibid,  xiv,  154;  Am.  Nat.  v,  441). 


MERGANSER  ;   GOOSANDER  ;  FISH   DUCK. 
MERGUS  MERGANSER  L. 

Chars.  Bill  not  shorter  than  head,  mostly  red  ;  nostrils  nearly 
median  ;  frontal  feathers  reaching  beyond  those  on  sides  of  bill. 
Male  with  the  head  scarcely  crested,  glossy  green  ;  back  and 
wings  black  and  white,  latter  crossed  by  one  black  bar  ;  under 
parts  salmon-colored.  Length,  about  24.00  ;  extent,  36.00  ;  wing, 
11.00  ;  tail,  5.00  ;  bill,  2.25  ;  tarsus,  1.75.  Female  smaller;  occip- 
ital crest  better  developed,  but  still  flimsy;  head  and  neck  reddish- 
brown  ;  black  parts  of  the  male  ashy-gray ;  less  white  on  the 
wing  ;  under  parts  less  tinted  with  salmon. 

The  three  species  of  Merganser  which  occur  in  New 
England,  as  in  most  other  parts  of  the  United  States, 
have  substantially  the  same  character,  being  chiefly 
migrants  and  winter  residents,  but  also  breeding  in 
northern  sections.  Mr.  Boardman  records  the  present 
species  as  breeding  in  trees  about  Calais,  Maine,  and 
Mr.  J.  H.  Sage  notes  its  breeding  at  Moosehead  Lake, 
in  Maine  (Orn.  and  Ool.,  vi,  1881,  p.  51).  They  are 
all  chiefly  maritime,  but  also  found  inland.  All  three 
breed  in  Maine,  at  least  as  far  south  as  Umbagog  Lake, 
where  eggs  have  been  procured,  and  Mr.  Allen  thinks 
Audubon  had  good  grounds  for  stating  that  the  present 
species  has  bred  in  Massachusetts. 


332  ANATIDvE  :    SWANS,    GEESE,    AND   DUCKS. 

RED-BREASTED   MERGANSER. 
MERGUS  SERRATOR  L. 

Chars.  Nostrils  sub-basal :  frontal  feathers  not  reaching  beyond 
those  on  sides  of  bill ;  a  long,  thin,  pointed  crest  in  both  sexes. 
Smaller  than  the  foregoing  ;  wing,  8.00-9.00.  General  coloration 
and  sexual  differences  the  same,  but  male  with  the  jugulum  and 
forebreast  rich  reddish-brown  streaked  with  black  ;  sides  of  the 
body  conspicuously  and  finely  waved  with  black  ;  a  white,  black- 
bordered  mark  in  front  of  the  wing,  which  is  crossed  by  two 
black  bars. 


FIG.  72.  — RED-BREASTED  MERGANSER,  WITH  OUTLINE  OF  BILL  FROM  ABOVE. 


This  is  the  commonest  one  of  the  three,  especially 
along  the  coast.  The  figure  represents  the  bill  of  natural 
size,  and  shows  the  sub-basal  position  of  the  nostrils, 
which  are  more  median  in  M.  merganser.  The  nest 
is  placed  on  the  ground;  carefully  concealed  in  rank 
herbage ;  it  is  neatly  constructed  of  mosses,  lichens,  hay 
and  seaweeds,  and  warmly  lined  with  down  from  the 
parent's  breast.  The  eggs  are  some  nine  or  ten  in 
number,  of  a  fine  creamy  buff  color,  oval  or  ellipsoidal, 
measuring  about  2.50  X  1.65. 


MERGUS  CUCULLATUS:  HOODED  MERGANSER.   333 

In  our  latest  list  of  Maine  birds,  which  has  not  reached 
us  until  this  work  is  nearly  completed,  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown 
notes  this  species  as  abundant  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland, 
and,  like  the  last,  chiefly  a  migrant.  He  is  however 
informed  by  Mr.  Brewster  that  it  winters  in  considerable 
numbers  as  far  north-east  as  Point  Lepreaux,  N.  B. 
(Pr.  Portl.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  Dec.  4,  1882.) 


HOODED   MERGANSER. 
MERGUS  CUCULLATUS  L. 

Chars.  Bill  shorter  than  head,  mostly  or  entirely  black ;  nostrils 
sub-basal ;  frontal  feathers  reaching  far  beyond  those  on  sides  of 
bill ;  a  compact,  erect,  semicircular,  laterally  compressed  crest 
in  the  male,  smaller  and  less  rounded  in  the  female.  Male : 
Black,  including  two  crescents  in  front  of  wing,  and  bar  across 
speculum  ;  under  parts,  centre  of  crest,  speculum,  and  stripes  on 
tertials,  white;  sides  chestnut,  black-barred.  Length,  18.00- 
19.00  ;  wing,  8.00.  Female  smaller  ;  head  and  neck  brown  ; 
chin  whitish  ;  back  and  sides  dark  brown,  the  feathers  with 
paler  edges  ;  white  on  the  wing  less  ;  bill  reddish  at  base  below. 

The  rarest  of  the  three,  excepting  probably  in  places 
where  it  breeds.  This  may  be  anywhere  in  New  Eng- 
land, but  as  far  as  known  is  chiefly  in  the  swampy 
wooded  northern  portions.  The  nest  is  built  in  the 
hollow  of  a  tree  or  stump.  According  to  Mr.  J.  G. 
Rich,  as  noted  by  Mr.  Maynard,  it  breeds  not  uncom- 
monly on  Lake  Umbagog,  where  Mr.  Deane  has  taken 
the  eggs. 


334  suLiD^E  :  GANNETS. 


FAMILY  SULID^  :  GANNETS. 
COMMON   GANNET;   SOLAN   GOOSE. 

SULA   BASSANA    (L.) 

Chars.  Bill  rather  longer  than  the  head,  cleft  to  beyond  the  eyes, 
very  stout  at  the  base,  tapering  and  a  little  decurved  toward  the 
tip,  which  however  is  not  hooked  ;  the  tomia  irregularly  serrate, 
or  rather  lacerate  ;  nostrils  abortive  ;  gular  sac  little  developed, 
but  naked ;  wings  rather  long,  pointed ;  tail  long,  stiff,  wedge- 
shaped,  12-14-feathered  ;  feet  more  nearly  beneath  centre  of 
equilibrium  than  in  some  other  families  of  this  order.  General 
configuration  somewhat  that  of  a  goose  ;  body  stout  ;  neck 
rather  long  ;  head  large,  uncrested  ;  plumage  compact.  Adult : 
White,  with  black  primaries ;  the  head  washed  with  amber- 
yellow  ;  bill  not  yellow  ;  lores,  sac,  and  feet  blackish.  Young : 
dark  brown  speckled  with  white,  below  from  the  neck  grayish- 
white,  each  feather  darker  edged  ;  quills  and  tail  blackish. 
Length,  about  31.00  ;  extent,  60.00  ;  wing,  17.00-21.00  ;  tail, 
about  10.00;  bill,  4.00. 

Leaving  now  the  long  array  of  Ducks,  which  we  have 
passed  in  rapid  review,  it  being  necessary  to  condense 
our  notices  in  some  cases  in  order  to  bring  all  the  birds 
of  New  England  within  the  compass  of  two  small  vol- 
umes, we  enter  upon  a  group  of  web-footed  birds  which 
are  distinguished  by  having  all  four  of  the  toes  palmated. 
This  order  of  Stcganopodes,  or  Totipalmati,  includes  the 
six  families  of  the  Gannets,  Pelicans,  Cormorants,  An- 
hingas,  Frigates,  and  Tropic-birds,  all  but  the  last  of 
which  furnish  representatives  in  New  England. 

The  Gannet  occurs  in  winter  along  our  whole  coast, 


SULA  LEUCOGASTRA  :  BROWN  GANNET  ;  BOOBY.   335 

more  sparingly  southward,  than  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. A  few  still  breed  on  a  "  Gannet  rock "  off  the 
Maine  coast,  and  the  bird  is  common  on  the  fishing- 
grounds.  This  rock  lies  to  the  southward  of  Grand' 
Menan  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Bay  of  Fundy.  There 
is  also  a  rock  called  by  the  same  name  lying  to  the 
southwest  of  Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia.  The  great  breed- 
ing resort  of  the  species  are  Bird  Rocks,  in  the  Gulf  of 
St.  Lawrence,  and  Bonaventura  Island,  in  the  same  gulf, 
near  Gaspe. 

"The  herring  fishermen  who  used  to  resort  to  the 
Magdalens  in  early  spring,"  says  Capt.  J.  W.  Collins, 
"  captured  the  bird  by  the  ingenious  device  of  a  board 
painted  water-color,  to  the  upper  surface  of  which  was 
fastened  a  number  of  herring.  This  board  was  then 
anchored  at  some  distance  from  the  shore :  the  birds 
perceiving  the  lure,  dashed  down  upon  it,  and  broke 
their  necks." 


BROWN   GANNET  ;   BOOBY. 
SULA  LEUCOGASTRA  Bodd. 

Chars.  Form  like  that  of  the  foregoing,  but  coloration  very  differ- 
ent, being  brown  ;  below  from  the  neck  white  ;  bill  and  feet  yel- 
low. Young  :  grayish-brown,  merely  paler  below ;  bill  dusky. 
Rather  smaller  than  the  last. 

This  is  a  southern  species,  —  one  perfectly  authen- 
ticated, however,  as  a  casual  visitor  in  New  England. 
It  was  given  from  Guilford,  Conn.,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lins- 
ley,  many  years  ago  (Am.  Jour.  Sci.,  xliv.,'  1843,  p.  271). 
In  1856,  Mr.  Putnam  recorded  it  for  Massachusetts  (Pr. 


336  SULID^E  :    GANNETS. 

Essex  Inst.,  i,  1856,  p.  221).  Notwithstanding  these 
cases,  which  Dr.  Coues  allows,  and  Mr.  Purdie  thinks 
good  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  72;  ii,  1877,  p.  14), 
Dr.  Brewer  excludes  it  from  his  catalogue  of  1875, 
with  the  remark  that  he  prefers  to  place  it  on  proba- 
tion and  await  further  proof  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875, 
p.  453).  This  proof  he  has  the  pleasure  of  producing 
himself,  a  specimen  having  been  shot  on  Cape  Cod,  Sept. 
17,  1878,  and  brought  to  the  Boston  market,  whence  it 
passed  into  the  possession  of  the  Messrs.  E.  O.  and  O. 
Bangs,  of  Boston  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  191).  On 
the  alleged  imperfection  of  the  early  record,  see  Pr. 
Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P- 


P.  TRACHYRHYNCHUS  :    AMERICAN    WHITE    PELICAN. 


FAMILY  PELECANID^E  :   PELICANS. 


AMERICAN  WHITE   PELICAN. 
PELECANUS  TRACHYRHYNCHUS  Lath. 

Chars.  Bill  several  times  as  long  as  the  head,  comparatively  slen- 
der, but  strong,  straight,  broad,  flattened,  ending  with  a  distinct 
claw-like  hook;  mandibular  rami  joining  only  at  their  apex; 
the  long,  broad  interramal  space,  and  the  throat,  occupied  by 
an  enormous  membranous  sac  ;  nostrils  abortive  ;  wings  ex- 
tremely long,  in  the  upper  and  fore-arm  portions  as  well  as  the 
pinion,  with  very  numerous  remiges  ;  tail  very  short,  of  twenty 
or  more  feathers  ;  feet  short,  very  stout.  Size  large.  Color 
white  ;  occiput  and  breast  yellow  ;  primaries,  their  coverts,  bas- 
tard -quills,  and  many  secondaries,  black  ;  bill,  sac,  lores  and 
feet  yellow.  About  5  feet  long  ;  expanse,  7.00-9.00 ;  wing,  2.00  ; 
bill,  i.oo  or  more  ;  tail,  0.50,  normally  24-feathered. 


FIG.  73.  — BILL  OF  WHITE  PELICAN;  MUCH  REDUCED. 


According  to  Allen  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  i,  1876,  p.  60), 
the  White  Pelican  was  doubtless  in  early  times  not 
uncommon  in  Massachusetts  and  other  parts  of  New 


33^  PELECANID.E  :    PELICANS. 

England,  where,  however,  its  presence  now  can  only 
be  considered  accidental,  though  there  are  some  recent 
records  of  its  occurrence.  The  individuals  noted  by 
him  (Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  640)  as  having  visited  Nan- 
tucket  Island  were  later  determined  to  have  been  Brown 
Pelicans.  Mr.  Purdie  gives  the  first  recent  record  of  the 
capture  of  a  White  Pelican,  at  North  Scituate,  Oct.  6, 
1876  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  Jan.  1877,  p.  22).  This  is 
probably  the  first  definite  modern  instance  for  Massa- 
chusetts, and  the  second  for  New  England ;  Mr.  Board- 
man's  remark,  "accidental,  in  one  or  two  cases,"  being 
the  only  other  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix,  1862,  p.  130).  There 
is  a  New  Brunswick  case,  of  one  and  perhaps  two  speci- 
mens (Chamberlain,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  106). 


BROWN  PELICAN. 

PELECANUS   FUSCUS  L. 

Chars.  Form  like  that  of  the  last  species.  Plumage  dark-colored, 
variegated  ;  neck  of  the  adult  mostly  reddish-brown  ;  head  mostly 
white ;  bill  dark,  varied  with  red ;  sac  blackish ;  feet  black.  Rather 
smaller  than  the  last.  Tail  normally  22-feathered ;  bill  without 
any  upright  horny  process. 

Accidental,  New  England  being  entirely  beyond  the 
usual  range  of  this  species.  According  to  Maynard, 
"  Mr.  J.  F.  Le  Baron  is  confident  of  having  seen  two  of 
this  species  at  Ipswich  some  years  ago  "  (Nat.  Guide, 
1870,  p.  149).  Allen  says  that  a  flock  of  five  Brown 
Pelicans  visited  Nantucket  a  few  years  before  1870,  one 
of  them  being  shot.  Mr.  Allen's  slip  of  referring  this 
case  to  the  preceding  species  is  corrected  on  p.  40  of 
the  extras  of  his  paper  in  Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  640. 
(See  ibid.,  iv,  p.  58.) 


PHALACROCORAX    CARBO  I   COMMON    CORMORANT.       339 


FAMILY  PHALACROCORACID^E: 
CORMORANTS. 


COMMON  CORMORANT. 
PHALACROCORAX  CARBO  (L.)  Leach. 

Chars.  Bill  about  as  long  as  head,  stout,  more  or  less  nearly 
terete,  strongly  hooked  at  the  end ;  tomia  generally  found 
irregularly  jagged,  but  not  truly  serrate  ;  a  long,  narrow  nasal 
groove,  but  nostrils  obliterated  in  the  adult  state  ;  gape  reach- 
ing below  the  eyes,  which  are  set  in  naked  skin.  Gular  pouch 
forming  an  evident  naked  space  under  the  bill  and  on  the  throat, 
encroached  upon  by  the  feathers  on  the  middle  line  so  that  it  is 
heart-shaped  behind.  Wings  short  for  this  order,  stiff  and 
strong,  the  second  primary  usually  longer  than  the  third,  both 
these  exceeding  the  first.  Tail  long,  large,  fan-shaped,  of 
fourteen  very  stiff,  strong  feathers,  denuded  to  the  base  by 
extreme  shortness  of  the  coverts.  Plumage  glossy  greenish- 
black  ;  feathers  of  back  and  wing-coverts  bronzy-gray,  black- 
edged  ;  quills  and  tail  grayish-black ;  gular  sac  yellow, 
white-bordered ;  feet  black ;  in  summer  a  white  flank  patch, 
numerous  long  thready  white  plumes  on  head  and  neck,  and 
a  small  black  occipital  crest.  Length,  36.00  ;  wing,  12.00-14.00; 
tail,  6.00-7.00  ;  tarsus  over  2.00 ;  bill,  4.00  along  the  gape. 

Rather  common  off  the  coast  during  the  fall  and  win- 
ter months.  A  few  also  breed  at. Grand  Menan.  Mr. 
Hiram  Cutting  records  a  specimen  taken  in  Vermont. 


340 


PHALACROCORACIDjE  :  CORMORANTS. 


DOUBLE-CRESTED   CORMORANT. 
PHALACROCORAX  DILOPHUS  (Sw.)  Nutt. 

Chars.  Tail  of  twelve  feathers. 
Gular  sac  convex  behind. 
Plumage  glossy  greenish- 
black  ;  feathers  of  the  back 
and  wings  coppery-gray, 
black-shafted,  black-edged ; 
adult  with  curly  black  lat- 
eral crests,  and  in  the 
breeding  season  other  fil- 
amentous white  ones,  over 
the  eyes  and  along  the 
sides  of  the  neck;  white 
flank-patch  not  observed  in 
the  specimens  examined, 
but  probably  occurring ; 
gular  sac  and  lores  orange. 
Length,  30.00-33.00  inches; 
wing,  12.00  or  more;  tail, 
6.00  or  more  ;  bill  along 
gape,  3.50 ;  tarsus  a  little 
over  2.00.  Young  plain 
dark  brown,  paler  or  gray- 
ish (even  white  on  the 
breast)  below,  without  head- 
plumes. 

This  is  the  Cormorant 
most  widely  diffused  in 
North  America,  and  one 
which  occurs  in  New 
England  under  circum- 
stances similar  to  those 
under  which  the  preceding  species  is  found. 


FIG.  74.— DOUBLE-CRESTED  CORMORANT. 
Natural  size. 


TACHYPETES   AQUILUS  :   FRIGATE. 


341 


FAMILY  TACHYPETID^:  FRIGATES. 


FRIGATE,  OR  MAN-OF-WAR   BIRD. 
TACHYPETES  AQUILUS  (L.)    V. 

Chars.  Bill  longer  than  head,  stout,  straight,  wider  than  high 
at  the  base,  thence  gradually  compressed  to  the  strongly  hooked 
extremity.  Nostrils  very  small,  linear,  almost  entirely  closed,  in 
a  long,  narrow  groove. 
Gular  sac  small,  but  ca- 
pable of  considerable 
distension.  Wings  ex- 
ceedingly long  and 
pointed,  of  about  thirty- 
four  remiges,  of  which 
the  ten  primaries  are 
very  powerful,  with  stout 
quadrangular  shafts ; 
upper  and  middle  por- 
tion of  the  wings  greatly 
lengthened.  Tail  very 
long,  deeply  forked,  of 
twelve  strong  feathers. 
Feet  exceedingly  small, 
the  tarsus,  in  particular,  extraordinarily  short,  feathered ; 
middle  claw  pectinate.  Bulk  of  body  slight  compared  with  the 
great  length  of  the  wings  and  tail.  Male  brownish-black,  glossed 
with  green  or  purplish,  duller  on  the  belly,  wings  showing  brown 
and  gray  ;  female  with  white  on  neck  and  breast.  Length, 
about  3.50  feet;  extent,  about  8.00;  wing,  2.00  ;  tail,  1.50;  bill, 
5.00  or  6.00  inches  ;  tarsi,  i  inch  or  less. 

Accidental,  in  one  known  instance.     Mr.  George  Bird 
Grinnell  narrates  that  a  female  of  this  species  was  killed 


FIG.  75.  —HEAD  OF  FRIGATE  BIRD. 


342  TACHYPETIM:  :  FRIGATE  BIRDS. 

on  Faulkner's  Island,  Conn.,  in  the  autumn  of  1859,  and 
preserved  in  the  collection  of  Captain  Brooks  (Am.  Nat., 
ix,  1865,  p.  470.  See  also  Merriam,  Rev.  B.  Conn., 
1877,  p.  131  ;  Brewer,  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  308). 
Mr.  Purdie's  manuscript  informs  us  that  a  specimen  was 
taken,  but  not  preserved,  about  twelve  years  ago,  at 
Booth  Bay,  Maine.  A  Nova  Scotian  case  is  recorded 
by  Deane  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  64);  probably 
the  same  as  given  by  Gilpin  (Orn.  and  Ool.,  vol.  vii, 
1882,  p.  123). 

It   may  be    mentioned  that   a  Tropic-bird  has  been 
known  to  occur  in  Nova  Scotia  and  New  York. 


STERCORARIUS  SKUA  I  SKUA  JAEGER.       343 


FAM.  LARIDyE:  JAEGERS,  GULLS, TERNS  AND 
SKIMMERS. 


SKUA   JAEGER. 

STERCORARIUS  SKUA    (Brilnn.)  Coues. 

Chars.  Bill  shorter  than  middle  toe  without  its  claw ;  tarsus 
shorter  than  middle  toe  and  claw.  Central  rectrices  broad  to  the 
tip,  little  projecting  beyond  the  rest.  Very  large  ;  length  about 
24.00  ;  wing,  17.00 ;  tail,  6.00  ;  tarsus,  2.75  ;  middle  toe  and  claw, 
3.00  ;  bill  about  2.00,  its  depth  at  base  0.75.  Plumage  above 
blackish-brown,  varied  with  chestnut  and  whitish  ;  throat  and 
sides  of  neck  yellowish-brown,  streaked  with  white  ;  below,  fusco- 
rufous,  with  an  ashy  shade  ;  quills  blackish,  with  white  shafts 
and  a  conspicuous  large  white  area  at  base ;  tail-feathers 
blackish,  white  at  the  base  ;  very  old  birds  are  much  darker  and 
more  uniform  brown,  almost  blackish  above,  rather  smoky- 
brown  below. 

Though  allowed  a  place  in  the  New  England  list  for 
many  years,  upon  more  or  less  unsatisfactory  evidence, 
this  species  was  with  many  others  eliminated  in  1875  by 
Dr.  Brewer,  with  the  remark  :  "  This,  it  is  now  generally 
conceded,  has  no  claim  to  be  placed  in  the  avi-fauna  of 
New  England.  Except  as  accidental  in  Greenland,  it  is 
not  even  North  American  "  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p. 
453).  But  this  statement  is  too  sweeping.  Dr.  Brewer 
himself  has  the  pleasure  of  correcting  it,  in  recording 
the  capture  of  a  specimen  on  the  Georges  fishing  banks} 
off  the  Massachusetts  coast,  in  July,  1878  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  1 88).  This  specimen  was  brought  into 
Gloucester,  and  examined  by  Prof.  Baird. 


344  LARID.E  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,  ETC. 

POMARINE  JAEGER. 

STERCORARIUS  POMATORHINUS  (Temm.)  Lawr. 

Chars.  Bill  and  tarsi  relatively  longer  than  in  the  foregoing ; 
central  rectrices  finally  projecting  far  beyond  the  rest.  Smaller 
and  less  robust.  Middle  tail-feathers  finally  projecting  about 
four  inches,  broad  to  the  tip.  Length  about  20.00  ;  wing,  14.00  ; 
bill,  1.50-1.75;  tarsus  about  2.00.  Adult:  back,  wings,  tail, 
crissum  and  lower  belly  blackish-brown,  deepening  on  the 
top  of  the  head  and  slight  occipital  crest  to  brownish-black ; 
below,  from  bill  to  belly,  and  neck  all  round,  pure  white,  except- 
ing acuminate  feathers  of  sides  of  neck,  which  are  pale  yellow  ; 
quills  whitish  basally,  their  shafts  largely  white  ;  tarsi  above 
blue,  below,  with  the  toes  and  webs,  black.  Not  quite  adult : 
as  before,  but  breast  with  dark  spots,  sides  of  the  body  with  dark 
bars,  blackish  of  lower  belly  interrupted  ;  feet  black.  Younger  : 
whole  under  parts,  with  upper  wing  and  tail-coverts,  variously 
marked  with  white  and  dark  ;  feet  blotched  with  yellow.  Young : 
whole  plumage  transversely  barred  with  dark  brown  and  rufous  ; 
feet  mostly  yellow.  Dusky  stage  (coming  next  after  the  barred 
plumage  just  given  ?)  :  fuliginous,  unicolor ;  blackish-brown 
all  over,  quite  black  on  the  head,  rather  sooty-brown  on  the 
belly  ;  sides  of  the  neck  slightly  gilded. 

Of  rare  occurrence  along  the  coast  in  autumn  and 
winter  ;  Merriam  could  give  no  Connecticut  instance. 
The  bird  is  known  to  have  been  taken  in  Pennsylvania ; 
according  to  Mr.  Boardman  it  is  not  uncommon  at 
Grand  Menan. 


PARASITIC,  OR  RICHARDSON'S  JAEGER. 
STERCORARIUS  PARASITICUS   (Briinn.}  Gray. 

Chars.     Middle  tail-feathers   finally  projecting  about  four  inches, 
tapering,  acuminate;  smaller;  wing,   12.00-13.00;  tarsus,   1.75- 


S.    BUFFONI  I    LONG-TAILED,  OR  ARCTIC   JAEGER.      345 

1.87  ;  bill,  1.33-1.50  ;  tail.  5.00-6.00,  the  long  feathers  up  to  9.00. 
Adult :  upper  parts,  including  top  of  the  head  and  slight  occipi- 
tal crest,  and  crissum,  blackish-brown,  deeper  on  wings  and 
tail  ;  chin,  throat,  sides  of  head,  neck  all  round  and  under  parts 
to  the  vent,  white,  the  sides  of  the  neck  pale  yellow  ;  quills  and 
tail-feathers  with  whitish  shafts  ;  feet  blue  and  black.  Younger : 
clouded  below  with  dusky  in  variable  pattern  and  amount. 
Young :  barred  crosswise  with  rufous  and  dusky ;  feet  mostly 
yellow.  There  is  a  fuliginous  stage,  precisely  as  in  the  last 
species. 

The  commonest  of  the  Jaegers,  yet  not  one  of  the 
abundant  sea-birds  of  our  coast.  Linsley  has  it  from 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  Merriam  cites  another  instance 
of  its  occurrence  in  this  State,  a  specimen  in  the  collec- 
tion of  Mr.  J.  H.  Sage,  of  Portland,  having  been  killed 
at  that  place  in  the  fall  of  1875  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 


LONG-TAILED,  OR  ARCTIC   JAEGER. 

STERCORARIUS   BUFFONI  (Boie)  Cones. 

Chars.  Middle  tail-feathers  finally  projecting  eight  to  ten  inches, 
very  slender  and  almost  filamentous  in  the  greater  part  of  their 
extent.  In  size  smaller  than  the  foregoing ;  wing  about  12.00; 
tail  about  6.00  ;  tarsus,  1.50-1.70;  bill.  1.00-1.12.  Coloration  as 
in  S.  parasiticus,  and  changes  of  plumage  the  same. 

Occurring  off  the  coast  in  fall  and  winter,  with  other 
species  of  the  genus.  A  fresh  case  of  its  presence 
on  our  southern  border  is  given  by  Merriam,  —  a 
specimen  taken  on  the  Community  Lake,  at  Walling- 
ford,  Conn.,  August  30,  1873  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877, 
P- 


346  LARID^E  :   JAEGERS,   GULLS,    TERNS,  ETC. 

GLAUCOUS  GULL,  OR   BURGOMASTER. 

LARUS  GLAUCUS  Brunn. 

Chars.  Adult :  general  plumage  white ;  primaries  entirely  white, 
or  very  pale  pearly-blue,  fading  insensibly  into  white  at  some 
distances  from  the  ends,  their  shafts  straw-yellow.  Mantle 
palest  pearly-blue.  Bill  yellow  with  red  spot  on  lower  mandible  ; 
feet  flesh-colored  or  pearl-yellowish.  In  winter :  head  and 
hind  neck  lightly  touched  with  gray.  Young  :  impure  white, 
with  or  without  traces  of  pearly-blue  on  the  mantle ;  head,  neck, 
and  upper  parts  mottled  with  pale  brownish,  sometimes  quite 
dusky  on  the  back,  and  under  parts  a  nearly  uniform  but  very 
faint  shade  of  the  same  ;  quills  and  tail  often  imperfectly  barred 
with  the  same  ;  bill  flesh-colored  or  yellowish,  with  black  tip. 
Very  large;  length  about  30.00;  extent,  60.00;  wing,  18.00- 
18.50 ;  bill,  2.75-3.00  ;  tarsi  about  3.00. 

This  magnificent  Gull  is  the  most  boreal  representa- 
tive of  the  genus,  uncommon  even  in  Labrador,  and  very 
rare  in  New  England,  where  it  only  occurs  in  winter. 
It  has  been  taken  on  Long  Island,  and  in  New  York 
State,  but  does  not  appear  to  have  ever  been  observed 
in  Connecticut.  Mr.  H.  rHerrick  gives  it  as  a  winter 
resident  at  Grand  Mehan,  and  the  name  occurs  in  nearly 
all  the  New  England  Lists,  citation  of  which,  however, 
does  not  appear  to  be  required. 


WHITE-WINGED  GULL.  V 

LARUS   LEUCOPTERUS  Faber. 

Chars.  Coloration  precisely  as  in  L.  glaucus ;  size  less;  length, 
24.00  (rather  less  titan  more) ;  wing,  16.00-17.00  ;  bill,  1.75-2.00  ; 
tarsus,  2.00-2.25. 


LARUS  MARINUS  I  GREAT  BLACK-BACKED  GULL.   347 

Another  species  occurring  off  the  coast  in  winter, 
but  apparently  one  of  the  rarer  gulls.  It  may,  however, 
be  really  more  common  than  is  supposed,  as  it  closely 
resembles  the  ordinary  Herring  Gull  in  size  and  general 
appearance,  excepting  the  black  tips  of  the  wings,  and  is 
therefore  liable  to  be  overlooked. 


GREAT  BLACK-BACKED   GULL. 
LARUS  MARINUS  L. 

Chars.  General  plumage  white,  primaries  crossed  with  black  ;  feet 
flesh-colored ;  bill  yellow  with  red  spot  Mantle  blackish  slate- 
color  ;  first  primary  with  the  end  white  for  two  or  three  inches  ; 
second  primary  with  a  white  subapical  spot,  and,  like  the 
remaining  ones  that  are  crossed  with  black,  having  the  tip  white 
(when  not  quite  mature,  the  first  with  small  white  tip  and  sub- 
apical  spot,  the  second  with  white  tip  alone).  In  winter,  head 
and  neck  streaked  with  dusky.  Young :  whitish,  variously 
washed,  mottled  and  patched  with  brown  or  dusky ;  quills  and 
tail  black,  with  or  without  white  tips  ;  bill  black.  Very  large  ; 
equalling  or  even  exceeding  L.  glaucus. 

Unlike  the  preceding,  this  is  a  common  winter 
resident  along  the  coast,  and  some  individuals  breed  in 
Maine.  The  great  birds  may  be  seen  now  and  then 
sailing  over  our  harbors  in  company  with  Herring  and 
Ring-billed  Gulls,  from  which  they  are  readily  dis- 
tinguished by  their  superior  size,  even  should  they 
be  in  the  dark  plumage  of  the  young  birds,  as  is  most 
frequently  the  case,  or  if  the  slaty  mantle  of  the  adults 
be  not  visible  in  flight.  They  are  more  numerous  on 
the  open  coast  than  in  the  harbors. 


348  LARID^E  :  JAEGERS,    GULLS,   TERNS,  ETC. 

HERRING  GULL;  COMMON  GULL. 

LARUS    ARGENTATUS    SMITHSONIANUS    CoueS. 

Chars.  Adult :  general  plumage  white.  Feet  flesh-color ;  bill 
yellow  with  red  spot ;  mantle  dull  blue  (darker  than  in  glaucus, 
but  nothing  like  the  deep  slate  of  marinus  —  much  the  same  as 
in  all  the  rest  of  the  species)  ;  primaries  marked  as  in  marinus, 
(but  the  great  majority  of  specimens  will  be  found  to  have  the 
not  quite  mature  or  final  condition).  Length,  22.00-27.00  ;  wing, 
15.00-18.00  ;  tarsus,  2.25-1.75  ;  bill  about  2.25  long,  about  0.67- 
0.75  deep  at  base,  and  about  the  same  at  the  protuberance. 
In  winter:  head  and  hind  neck  streaked  with  dusky.  Young: 
at  first  almost  entirely  fuscous  or  sooty-brown,  the  feathers 
of  the  back  and  wings  with  paler  edges  ;  bill  black  ;  quills  and 
tail  black,  white-tipped  or  not ;  size  at  the  minimum  above  given. 
As  it  grows  old,  it  gradually  lightens  ;  the  head,  neck  and  under 
parts  are  usually  quite  whitish,  before  the  markings  of  the  quills 
are  apparent,  and  before  the  blue  begins  to  show,  as  it  does  in 
patches,  mixed  with  brown  ;  the  black  on  the  tail  narrows  to  a 
bar,  at  the  time  the  primaries  are  assuming  their  characters,  but 
this  bar  disappears  before  the  primaries  gain  their  perfect 
pattern.  At  one  time  the  bill  is  flesh-colored  or  yellowish, 
black-tipped.  The  American  bird  proves  to  average  larger  than 
the  European  in  all  its  parts,  as  observed  in  several  other  water- 
birds  ;  whence  L.  smithsonianus  Coues. 

This  is  the  commonest  New  England  Gull,  neither 
confined  to  the  coast,  nor  occurring  only  in  winter, 
though  more  frequently  under  these  than  any  other 
circumstances.  It  appears  to  have  formerly  bred  along 
the  coast  from  Massachusetts  northward,  and  individuals 
are  still  to  be  seen  now  and  then  during  the  whole  year ; 
but  its  breeding  seems  to  be  now  chiefly  if  not  entirely 
confined  to  eastern  localities  in  Maine.  Farther  east 
and  north  it  is  extremely  common  in  summer,  as  in 


LARUS    DELAWARENSIS  I    RING-BILLED    GULL.         349 

Nova  Scotia,  Newfoundland  and  Labrador.  The  nest 
is  usually  placed  on  the  ground,  sometimes  on  rocks 
or  even  trees,  being  a  considerable  heap  of  grasses, 
mosses,  or  seaweeds  ;  the  eggs  are  normally  three  in 
number,  about  2.75  X  1.90;  the  ground  color,  an  ex- 
tremely variable  shade  of  greenish-gray,  or  drab,  some- 
times darker  olive,  dotted,  spotted  and  blotched  in  the 
most  irregular  manner  with  dark  brown  and  neutral 
tints.  The  Herring  Gull  is  a  constant  feature  of  the 
scene  in  our  harbors  from  September  till  April,  sailing 
with  great  buoyancy  overhead,  eagerly  scanning  the 
surface  of  the  water  in  search  of  food.  The  majority  of 
such  birds  are  in  the  dark  or  mottled  plumage  of  the 
first  and  second  years. 


RING-BILLED  GULL. 

LARUS  DELAWARENSIS  Ord. 

Chars.  Adult  plumage  precisely  like  that  of  the  last  species,  and 
its  changes  substantially  the  same  ;  bill  greenish-yellow,  encircled 
with  a  black  band  near  the  end,  usually  complete,  sometimes 
defective,  the  tip  and  most  of  the  cutting  edges  of  the  bill  yellow; 
in  high  condition,  the  angle  of  the  mouth  and  a  small  spot 
beside  the  black,  red;  feet  olivaceous,  obscured  with  dusky 
or  bluish,  and  partly  yellow  ;  the  webs  bright  chrome.  (Observe 
the  coloration  of  the  feet,  as  compared  with  argentatus. 
Notably  smaller  than  argentatus •  length  usually  18.00-20.00; 
extent  about  48.00  ;  wing  about  15.00  ;  bill  under  2.00,  and  only 
about  0.50  deep  at  the  protuberance ;  tarsus  about  2.00 ; 
obviously  longer  than  the  middle  toe. 

Another  common  winter  Gull,  oftener  seen  in  dark 
mottled  plumage  than  with  snow-white  under  parts  and 


35O  LAKID^E  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,  ETC. 

pearly  mantle,  circling  over  the  harbors.  It  can  scarcely 
be  distinguished  from  the  last  under  these  circumstances, 
but  is  constantly  smaller.  It  is  not  confined  to  the 
coast,  being  one  of  the  species  most  frequently  seen 
on  the  larger  inland  waters.  Its  known  breeding-range 
is  such  that  the  bird  will  doubtless  be  found  sometimes 
nesting  in  New  England,  though  we  have  at  present 
no  record  to  that  effect.  Mr.  Boardman  speaks  of 
its  presence  in  Maine  in  summer. 


KITTIWAKE    GULL. 

RlSSA    TRIDACTYLA    (L.)    Bp. 

Chars.  Hind  toe  only  appearing  as  a  minute  knob,  its  claw  abor- 
tive. Mantle  rather  dark  grayish-blue;  first  primary  with  the 
whole  outer  web,  and  the  entire  end  for  about  two  inches,  black; 
next  one,  with  the  end  black  about  as  far,  but  outer  web  else- 
where light,  and  a, white  speck  at  extreme  tip;  on  the  rest  of 
the  primaries  that  have  black  this  color  decreases  in  extent  pro- 
portionally to  the  shortening  of  the  quills,  so  that  the  base  of 
the  black  on  all  is  in  the  same  line  when  the  wings  are  closed 
(a  pattern  peculiar  to  the  species  of  Rissa) ;  and  these  all  have 
white  apex.  Bill  yellow,  usually  clouded  with  olivaceous.  Rather 
small.  Length,  16.00-18.00;  wing,  12.00;  bill,  1.33-1.50;  tar- 
sus about  the  same ;  middle  toe  and  claw  longer.  Tail  usually 
slightly  emarginate.  In  winter,  nape  and  hind  neck  shaded  with 
the  color  of  the  mantle.  Young:  bill  black;  a  black  bar  on  the 
tail,  another  across  the  neck  behind;  wings  and  back  variously 
patched  with  black;  dark  spots  before  and  behind  the  eyes; 
quills  mostly  black. 

On  the  coast  in  winter,  and  common.  This  is  one 
of  the  most  abundant  of  the  Laridcz  breeding  in  the 
Gulf  of  St.  Lawrence,  as  at  the  Magdalen  Islands  with 


C.    ATRICILLA  :    BLACK-HEADED    GULL.  35 1 

the  Gannet.s,  as  well  as  along  the  Labrador  coast ;  and 
a  few  also  breed  on  the  coast  of  Maine  and  in  the  Bay 
of  Fundy. 

BLACK-HEADED  OR  LAUGHING   GULL. 
CHROICOCEPHALUS  ATRICILLA  (L.)  Lawr 

Chars.  A  species  of  medium  size,  of  less  robust  form  and  slenderer 
bill  than  most  of  the  foregoing.  In  the  breeding  season  the 
white  of  the  under  parts  rosy-tinted,  and  the  head  enveloped 
in  a  dark-colored  hood.  Length,  16.00-19.00;  wing,  12.00-13.00; 
tarsus,  2.00;  middle  toe  and  claw,  1.50;  bill,  about  1.75,  the  tip 
elongated  and  decurved,  so  that  the  point  comes  nearly  or  quite 


FIG.  76.— BILL  OF  LAUGHING  GULL,  NAT.  SIZE. 

down  to  the  level  of  the  small  acute  prominence  of  the  gonys. 
Mantle  grayish-plumbeous;  hood  dark  plumbeous ;  eyelids  white; 
black  on  primaries  taking  in  nearly  all  the  first  quill,  but  rapidly 
decreasing  to  the  sixth ;  the  white  tips  very  small,  few,  or  want- 
ing ;  bill  and  feet  dusky  carmine.  In  winter,  not  rosy,  and  un- 
hooded;  head  white,  with  dusky  or  grayish  patches  on  the  nape 
and  auriculars.  Young :  quite  brown,  paler,  grayish  or  whitish 
below  and  on  the  upper  tail-coverts  ;  feathers  of  the  back  dark 
with  paler  edges;  quills  and  tail  black,  or  latter  white  or  partly 
grayish-blue,  with  a  black  bar  ;  bill  and  feet  dusky  or  brownish. 

Unlike  all  the  foregoing,  the  present  is  a  southern 
species,  and  a  summer  resident  only  with  us.     It  ap- 


352     LARID.E  !  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

pears  to  have  formerly  been  more  common  than  it  is 
now,  and  Mr.  Allen  speaks  of  its  being  nearly  extir- 
pated in  Massachusetts.  It  usually  arrives  in  April, 
and  remains  until  September,  sometimes  into  October. 
The  nest  is  placed  upon  the  ground,  usually  the  sand 
of  the  seashore  ;  the  eggs  are  two  or  three  in  number, 
usually  three,  measuring  from  2.00  to  2.25  in  length  by 
about  i. 60  in  breadth;  in  coloration  they  are  not  dis- 
tinguishable from  those  of  other  Gulls.  The  bird  breeds 
only  very  sparingly  north  of  Massachusetts. 


BONAPARTE'S    GULL. 
CHROICOCEPHALUS  PHILADELPHIA  (Ord)  Lawr. 

Chars.  Tarsus  about  equal  to  middle  toe  and  claw.  Small.  Length, 
12.00-14.00;  wing,  9.50-10  50;  tarsus,  1.33;  bill,  1.12-1.25,  very 
slender,  like  a  Tern's.  Adult  in  summer :  bill  black ;  mantle 
pearly  blue,  much  paler  than  in  the  foregoing;  hood  slaty-plumb- 
eous, with  white  touches  on  the  eyelids  ;  many  wing-coverts 
white  ;  feet  chrome  yellow  tinged  with  coral  red ;  webs  ver- 
milion. Primaries  finally,  —  the  first  five  or  six  with  the  shafts 
white  except  at  tip ;  first,  white,  with  outer  web  and  extreme  tip 
black;  second,  white,  more  broadly  crossed  with  black;  third  to 
sixth  or  eighth,  with  the  black  successively  decreasing.  In  win- 
ter, no  hood,  but  a  dark  auricular  spot.  Young :  mottled  and 
patched  above  with  brown  or  gray,  and  usually  a  dusky  bar  on 
the  wing;  the  tail  with  a  black  bar,  the  primaries  with  more 
black,  the  bill  dusky,  much  of  the  lower  mandible  flesh-colored 
or  yellowish,  as  are  the  feet. 

Bonaparte's  Gull  is  one  of  the  smallest  and  airiest 
species  of  the  Laridce,  closely  resembling  a  sea-swallow 
both  in  habits  and  in  general  appearance.  It  is  very 


XEMA   SABINIi:    FORK-TAILED    GULL.  353 

common  in  New  England,  but  the  circumstances  of 
its  presence  can  hardly  be  stated  without  qualification. 
There  is  probably  no  month  in  the  year  when  the  bird 
may  not  be  found  with  us,  unless  it  be  in  the  depth  of 
winter.  It  is  commonly  seen  late  in  the  summer,  and 
its  numbers  increase  in  the  fall.  It  resides  all  the  sum- 
mer in  Maine,  yet  we  have  no  authentic  record  of  its 
breeding  there.  It  would  appear  to  belong  most  prop- 
erly to  the  category  of  spring  and  fall  migrants,  its 
presence  in  summer  being  chiefly  during  the  latter  part 
of  that  season,  as  in  the  cases  of  various  Sandpipers, 
which,  like  this  Gull,  have  a  high  north  breeding  range. 
Individuals  are  commonly  seen  into  the  winter  months, 
and  great  numbers  appear  from  the  south  in  April. 
During  the  migrations  the  pretty  birds  fairly  swarm  by 
thousands. 


FORK-TAILED    GULL. 
XEMA  SABINII  (Sab.)   Leach. 

Chars.  Adult :  white,  including  inner  primaries,  most  of  seconda- 
ries, and  greater  coverts  ;  head  enveloped  in  a  slate-colored 
hood,  succeeded  by  a  velvety-black  collar  ;  mantle  slaty-blue, 
extending  quite  to  the  tips  of  the  tertiaries  ;  whole  edge  of  the 
wing,  and  first  five  primaries,  black,  their  extreme  tips,  and  the 
outer  half  of  their  inner  webs  to  near  the  end,  white ;  bill  black 
tipped  with  yellow;  feet  black.  Length,  13.00-14.00;  wing,  10.00- 
n.oo;  bill,  i.oo;  tarsus,  1.25;  tail,  $.w,  forked  an  inch  or  more. 
The  changes  of  plumage  are  correspondent  with  those  of  C.  Phil- 
adelphia. In  the  young  the  tail  is  simply  emarginate. 

This  very  elegant  little  Gull  is  probably  not  so  rare 
as  is  commonly  supposed.  For  many  years  it  remained 
one  of  the  least  known  of  the  North  American  repre- 


354         LARID^E:  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

sentatives  of  the  Laridce,  being  only  less  rare  in  col- 
lections than  Rhodostethia  rosea  and  Xema  furcata ; 
but  of  late  it  has  been  turning  up  anywhere,  and  the 
probability  is  that  it  has  been  often  overlooked  or 
confounded  with  Bonaparte's  Gull,  which  it  resembles 
closely.  Although  recorded  many  years  ago  by  Mr. 
Lawrence  for  Long  Island,  it  does  not  appear  to  have 
been  recognized  as  a  New  England  bird  until  noted  as 
such  by  Mr.  William  Brewster  in  the  "American  Sports- 
man" (v,  1875,  p.  370),  then  published  at  West  Meri- 
den,  Conn.,  by  the  late  Mr.  William  F.  Parker,  one  of 
the  firm  manufacturing  the  well-known  "Parker  gun." 
This  is  the  case  of  a  specimen  taken  in  Boston  Harbor, 
Sept.  27,  1864,  by  Mr.  H.  W.  Diamond,  and  later  placed 
in  Mr.  Brewster's  collection.  (See  also  Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  i,  1876,  p.  30,  and  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875, 
p.  449 :  same  case.)  In  1878,  Mr.  Allen  recorded 
a  specimen  taken  in  the  spring  of  that  year  at  Calais, 
Maine,  by  Mr.  Boardman,  in  nearly  full  plumage 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  195).  The  same  note  by 
Mr.  Allen  also  speaks  of  a  third  case  of  which  he  was 
informed,  —  that  of  a  specimen  taken  a  short  time  be- 
fore at  Portland,  Maine.  Concerning  the  Calais  case, 
Mr.  Boardman  writes  to  Dr.  Brewer :  "  I  have  known 
this  bird  to  be  about  almost  every  spring,  but  was  never 
able  to  get  one,  and  only  succeeded  by  getting  a  cart- 
load, almost,  of  Bonaparte  Gulls.  As  you  go  from  East- 
port  to  Calais,  you  can  often  see  with  a  good  glass  a 
Gull  or  two,  among  the  thousands  with  the  black  wing- 
feathers,  different  from  the  Bonapartes  "  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc. 
Nat.  Hist.,  xx,  1879,  P-  285)- 


STERNA  CASPIA:  CASPIAN  TERN.      355 

GULL-BILLED    OR   MARSH    TERN. 
STERNA  ANGLICA  Mont. 

Chars.  Bill  remarkably  short,  stout,  and  obtuse,  hardly  or  not  half 
as  long  again  as  the  tarsus;  bill  and  feet  black;  pileum  black; 
mantle  pearly  grayish-blue,  this  color  extending  on  the  rump 
and  tail ;  primaries  with  the  white  stripe  restricted  to  their  bases, 
their  shafts  white.  Length,  13.00-15.00;  extent,  about  34.00; 
wing,  10.00-12. oo ;  tail,  4.00,  forked  only  2.00  or  less,  the  lateral 
feathers  little  narrowed;  tarsi,  1.00-1.25;  bill,  I  33. 

Of  casual  and  rare  occurrence.  The  only  instances 
which  have  come  to  our  knowledge  are  those  given  by 
Mr.  Brewster,  of  a  specimen  taken  at  Ipswich,  Mass., 
in  September,  1871  (Am.  Nat.,  vi,  1872,  p.  306),  and  one 
shot  at  Grand  Menan  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1879, 
as  noted  by  Mr.  Deane  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  63). 
But  the  species  is  given  by  nearly  all  the  earlier  writers, 
upon  data  which  were  doubtless  satisfactory  to  them  at 
the  time.  It  breeds*  plentifully  as  far  north  as  Cobb's 
Island,  Va. 

CASPIAN  TERN. 
STERNA  CASPIA  Pall. 

Chars.  Of  great  size,  being  much  the  largest  of  the  Terns.  Occi- 
put slightly  crested.  Feet  black,  bill  red.  Mantle  pearly  grayish- 
blue;  black  cap  extending  below  the  eyes,  but  under  eyelid 
white  ;  primaries  without  any  white  stripe.  In  winter,  black  of 
the  cap  mostly  restricted  to  the  occiput.  Young  with  bill  dusky 
and  yellowish  ;  back,  wings  and  tail  patched  with  brown  or 
blackish.  Length,  20.00  or  more ;  wing,  15.00-17.00;  tail,  5.00- 
6.00,  moderately  forked,  without  narrowed  feathers ;  bill,  2.33- 
2.75,  very  stout,  0.75  or  more  deep  at  base,  0.50  wide  opposite 
nostrils;  tarsus,  1.67-1.75;  middle  toe  and  claw  rather  less. 


356        LARIM:  :  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

Of  regular  and  not  uncommon  occurrence.  This 
great  Tern  —  as  large  as  an  average  Gull  —  has  com- 
monly been  considered  both  as  a  northern  species  and 
as  rare  in  North  America.  But  it  is  neither,  for  it  is 
known  to  breed  off  the  Virginia  coast,  and  abundantly 
in  Texas  ;  and  it  has  also  occurred  in  the  interior  of 
the  United  States,  as  well  as  along  the  coast.  Prob- 
ably no  year  passes  without  its  presence  in  New  Eng- 
land. Allen  notes  it  for  Massachusetts  as  rare  or 
occasional  in  winter  (Bull.  Essex  Inst.,  x,  1878,  p.  29). 
Brewer  notes  it  as  "  occasional "  for  Massachusetts, 
and  queries  it  for  Maine  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p. 
449).  But  Mr.  Brewster  is  more  explicit :  "  The  Cas- 
pian Tern  —  all  previous  statements  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding  —  must  be  regarded  a  regular  visitor 
every  season,  and  one  by  no  means  uncommon.  They 
come  down  from  their  northern  breeding  grounds  during 
the  latter  part  of  September,  and  for  several  weeks,  at 
least,  are  to  be  found  in  moderate  numbers  all  along 
our  seaboard.  I  have  observed  them  at  various  points 
from  Ipswich  to  Nantucket.  At  the  latter  place,  upon 
one  occasion,  six  individuals  were  seen  fishing  in  the 
harbor  near  the  town.  As  to  their  wintering  within 
New  England  limits,  I  can  offer  only  negative  evidence, 
but  that  points  to  the  inference  that  they  pass  further 
south  with  the  approach  of  severe  weather.  During 
the  first  week  of  May,  1875,  I  found  them  quite  nu- 
merous at  Chatham,  Mass.  They  frequented  the  sand- 
bars near  the  shore,  and  kept  apart  from  the  Herring 
and  Black-backed  Gulls,  the  only  other  species  of 
Laridce  present  at  the  time"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv, 
1879,  p.  14).  Mr.  Purdie  informs  us  that  he  possesses 
a  young  specimen  taken  in  Boston  Harbor.  A  July 


STERNA   CANTIACA  :   SANDWICH   TERN.  357 

occurrence  in  Westerly,   R.   I.,   is  noted  in  Orn.   and 
Ool.,  vi,  1881,  p.  44. 


ROYAL   TERN ;   CAYENNE   TERN. 

STERNA  MAXIMA  Bodd. 

Chars.  Scarcely  less  in  linear  dimensions  than  the  Caspian  Tern, 
owing  to  greater  length  of  tail,  but  much  less  bulky.  Length, 
1 8.00-20.00  ;  wing,  14.00-15.00;  tail,  6.00-8.00,  deeply  forked, 
with  narrow  lateral  feathers  ;  tarsus,  about  1.25  ;  middle  toe, 
1.25  or  more  ;  bill,  2.50-2.75,  0.50-0.67  deep  at  base  ;  gonys, 
about  i. oo  long.  Bill  orange  ;  feet  black  ;  occiput  lightly  crested  ; 
cap  black,  but  often,  even  in  summer  breeding  birds,  the  black 
chiefly  restricted  to  the  lengthened  feathers  of  the  hind  head ; 
mantle  pale  grayish-blue ;  quills  silvered-dusky  with  long  white 
stripe. 

This  is  only  a  straggler  from  the  south,  of  casual 
occurrence.  Messrs.  C.  J.  Maynard  and  Wm.  Brewster 
made  captives  of  a  male  and  female  at  Nantucket  Island, 
July  i,  1874.  "The  female  bore  marks  of  having  just 
laid.  Both  specimens  were  in  somewhat  peculiar  plu- 
mage "  (Am.  Sports,  v,  Jan.  16,  1875,  p.  249).  While  at 
Penikese  Island,  I  had  brought  to  my  notice  a  specimen 
seen  there  about  the  same  time. 


SANDWICH  TERN. 
STERNA  CANTIACA  Gm. 

Chars.  Bill  black,  tipped  with  yellow  ;  plumage  as  in  the  fore- 
going, but  mantle  extremely  pale.  Length,  15.00-16.00;  wing, 
about  12.00 ;  tail,  5.00-6.00 ;  bill,  2.00-2.30,  the  yellow  end  from 


358 


LARID^E  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 


0.75  of  an  inch  to  a  mere  point;  tarsus,  i.oo;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  1. 12. 

Another  of  the  stragglers  which  occasionally  visit 
us  from  southern  waters.  It  was  included  among  our 
birds  by  Coues  in  1868,  as  of  undoubted  occurrence  on 
the  coast.  As  Dr.  Brewer  remarks,  "the  capture  of 
two  specimens  by  Mr.  Vickary  at  Chatham,  Cape  Cod," 
in  August,  1865,  first  gave  it  a  right  to  take  its  place 


FIG.  77.  —  BILL  OF  SANDWICH  TERN.    Nat.  size. 

among  the  rare  and  accidental  birds  that  visit  our  coast 
(Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  449).  This  Chatham  record 
was  made  by  Allen  (Am.  Nat.,  iii,  1870,  p.  644). 


COMMON  TERN  ;  WILSON'S  TERN  ;   SEA 
SWALLOW. 

STERNA  HIRUNDO  Auct. 

Chars.  Bill  red,  blackening  on  the  terminal  third,  the  very  point 
usually  light ;  feet  coral-red.  Mantle  pearly  grayish-blue  ;  pri- 
mary shafts  white,  except  at  the  end  ;  below  white,  washed  with 
pale  pearly  plumbeous,  blanching  on  throat  and  lower  belly ;  cap 


STERNA    HIRUNDO  I    WILSON'S    TERN.  359 

black  ;  quills  silver  dusky  with  long  white  stripe  ;  tail  mostly 
white,  the  outer  web  of  the  outer  feather  darker  than  the  inner 
web  of  the  same.  Length  of  male,  13.00-16.00;  extent,  29.00- 
32.00;  wing,  9.75-11.75;  tail,  5.00-7.00;  tarsus,  3.66-3.87;  bill, 
1.25-1.50  ;  whole  foot  averaging  1.75.  Female  rather  less,  aver- 
aging toward  these  minima.  Young  birds  may  show  a  little 
smaller,  in  length  of  tail  particularly,  and  so  of  total  length : 
length,  12-f;  wing,  9-}-;  tail,  4+;  bill,  1.12-}-.  In  winter,  this 
species  does  not  appear  to  lose  the  black  cap,  contrary  to  a 
nearly  universal  rule.  Young :  bill  mostly  dusky,  but  much  of 
the  under  mandible  yellowish ;  feet  simply  yellowish  ;  cap  more 
or  less  defective ;  back  and  wings  patched  and  barred  with  gray 
and  light  brown,  the  bluish  showing  imperfectly  if  at  all,  but  this 
color  shading  much  of  the  tail ;  usually  a  blackish  bar  along  the 
lesser  coverts,  and  several  tail-feathers  dusky  on  the  outer  web ; 
below,  pure  white,  or  with  very  little  plumbeous  shade. 

This  is  one  of  the  four  species  of  Terns  which  breed 
abundantly  on  the  coast  of  New  England,  no  others  of 
our  thirteen  species  being  known  to  pass  the  summer 
season  with  us.  It  is  on  the  whole  the  most  numerous 
of  all ;  and  as  its  habits  are  the  same  as  those  of  several 
of  its  allies,  with  which  it  associates  during  the  period 
of  incubation,  one  description  will  answer  for  all.  In 
preference  to  penning  a  new  account,  we  select  for  the 
pleasure  of  our  readers  the  charming  narrative  given  by 
Mr.  William  Brewster  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  l6)- 

During  the  latter  part  of  May,  "  a  few  days  after  the 
advent  of  the  '  Little  Strikers,'  as  the  Least  Terns  are 
called  by  the  'longshoremen  of  Virginia,  the  Wilson's 
and  Roseate  Terns  begin  to  appear.  They  are  already 
paired,  but,  judging  by  the  occasional  bickerings  and 
jealousies  that  arise,  even  the  more  sedate  females  are 
not  above  a  little  harmless  flirtation.  It  is  a  pretty 
sight  to  see  the  mated  birds  sitting  side  by  side  upon 
some  long  sand-spit,  all  with  their  breasts  turned  to  the 


360  LARIDjE  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS.    ETC. 

soft  morning  breeze,  and  each  little  glossy  black  cap 
glistening  in  the  sunlight.  Forty  or  fifty  there  may  be 
altogether,  with  others  continually  arriving  from  the 
distant  fishing-grounds.  As  the  incoming  birds  settle 
among  their  fellows,  a  low  murmur  of  welcome  runs 
through  the  assembled  throng,  and  fifty  pairs  of  wings 
are  simultaneously  raised  above  their  owners'  backs. 
It  is  like  the  greeting  offered  by  men  to  one  whom  they 
delight  to  honor,  save  that  among  these  simple  sea- 
birds  even  the  humblest  are  rarely  neglected.  Those 
individuals  occupying  the  higher  portion  of  the  bar  are 
squatted  on  the  warm  sand,  or  lying  with  wings  par- 
tially extended  to  the  grateful  rays  of  the  sun,  while 
along  the  water's  edge  many  are  washing  and  pluming 
themselves,  scattering  the  salt  spray  in  every  direction, 
or  toying  with  the  lapping  waves.  As  the  rising  tide 
encroaches  on  their  domain,  numbers  of  the  more  care- 
less are  floated  off  their  feet,  when  they  take  wing  and 
alight  again  among  the  rest.  In  this  way  the  area  con- 
tinually narrows,  until  the  birds  are  massed  in  a  com- 
pact body  upon  the  highest  point.  When  this  at  length 
becomes  submerged,  they  all  take  wing  and  remove  to 
some  other  spot.  The  same  bar  is  apt  to  be  resorted 
to  daily,  and  if  sufficiently  elevated  to  be  beyond  the 
reach  of  the  tides,  it  is  all  the  more  likely  to  be  chosen. 
"About  the  middle  of  June  —  the  time  varying  some- 
what with  different  localities  —  the  Terns  repair  to  their 
breeding-grounds  and  begin  to  deposit  their  eggs. 
Muskegat,  the  outermost  of  a  group  of  low,  sandy 
islands  that  with  Nantucket  form  the  breakwater  of  the 
Vineyard  Sound,  is,  and  has  been  since  time  immemorial, 
the  largest  breeding  station  of  the  Terns  on  the  New 
England  coast.  It  is  crescentic  in  shape,  three  miles 


STERNA    HIRUNDO  :    WILSON'S    TERN.  361 

long  by  one  across  at  the  broadest  part,  and  uninhabited. 
The  beach  along  the  eastern  shore  is  steep  and  bold, 
and  in  the  calmest  summer  weather  the  heavy  surges 
from  the  open  ocean  break  upon  the  shifting  sands  with 
an  incessant  sullen  roar.  Upon  the  Sound  side  shallows 
and  sand-bars  extend  for  miles  in  every  direction,  and  it 
is  said  that  at  low  tide  one  may  wade  across  to  Tucker- 
nuck,  more  than  a  mile  distant.  The  interior  of  the 
island,  rises  in  rolling  sand-hills,  which  are  sparsely 
clothed  with  beach-grass  and  a  stunted  growth  of  poison 
ivy,  while  a  few  scattered  clumps  of  bayberry-bushes 
afford  the  nearest  approach  to  arboreal  vegetation. 
Were  it  not  for  man,  —  who,  alas !  must  be  ranked 
as  the  greatest  of  all  destroyers,  —  the  Terns  would  here 
find  an  asylum  sufficiently  secure  from  all  foes.  But 
season  after  season  the  poor  birds  are  daily  robbed 
of  their  eggs  by  the  fishermen,  while  frequent  yachting- 
parties  invade  their  stronghold  and  shoot  them  by  hun- 
dreds, either  in  wanton  sport  or  for  their  wings,  which 
are  presented  to  fair  companions.  Then  the  graceful 
vessel  spreads  her  snowy  sails  and  glides  blithely  away 
through  the  summer  seas.  All  is  gayety  and  merriment 
on  board,  but  among  the  barren  sand-hills,  fast  fading  in 
the  distance,  many  a  poor  bird  is  seeking  its  missing 
mate ;  many  a  downy  little  orphan  is  crying  for  the  food 
its  dead  mother  can  no  longer  supply ;  many  a  pretty 
speckled  egg  lies  cold  and  deserted.  Buzzing  flies  settle 
upon  the  bloody  bodies,  and  the  tender  young  pine  away 
and  die.  A  graceful  pearl-tinted  wing  surmounts  a 
jaunty  hat  for  a  brief  season,  and  then  is  cast  aside,  and 
Muskegat  lies  forgotten,  with  the  bones  of  the  mother 
and  her  offspring  bleaching  on  the  white  sand.  This  is 
no  fancy  sketch ;  all  over  the  world  the  sad  destruction 


362  LARID.E  :   JAEGARS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 

goes  on.  It  is  indeed  the  price  of  blood  that  is  paid  for 
nodding  plumes.  Science  may  be,  nay,  certainly  is, 
cruel  at  times,  but  not  one  tithe  of  the  suffering  is 
caused  by  her  disciples  that  the  votaries  of  the  fickle 
goddess  Fashion  yearly  sanction. 

"My  first  visit  to  Muskegat  was  in  1870.  It  was  about 
the  25th  of  June  when  we  landed  on  the  island,  and 
three  days  were  spent  in  investigating  its  fauna. 
Although  the  fishermen  told  us  that  the  Terns  had 
been  diminishing  for  years,  their  numbers  at  that  time, 
nevertheless,  were  astonishing.  The  Arctic  Terns  were 
breeding  apart  in  a  separate  colony,  on  a  long,  narrow 
strip  of  sand,  while  the  Common  and  Roseate  Terns 
intermingled  freely,  oftentimes  placing  their  nests  side 
by  side.  Little  preference  seemed  to  be  accorded 
by  the  last  two  species  to  any  given  locality.  Their 
eggs  were  as  often  laid  upon  the  windrows  of  sea-weed  at 
high-water  mark,  as  among  the  ivy-vines  on  the  sand- 
hills. Indeed,  they  were  scattered  everywhere,  and  the 
birds  that  were  breeding  there  must  have  been  numbered 
by  hundreds  of  thousands.  The  sight  was  a  novel 
and  impressive  one.  Overhead,  at  varying  heights, 
swarms  of  Terns  were  passing  and  repassing,  crossing 
each  other's  flight  in  mazy  lines.  From  the  birds  just 
skimming  the  crests  of  the  sand-hills  to  the  white  specks 
floating  thousands  of  feet  above  the  earth  in  the  blue 
sky,  the  air  was  filled  with  their  countless  numbers. 
Hundreds  were  continually  rising  from  their  nests  and 
making  out  to  sea,  or  returning  from  the  fishing-grounds, 
each  with  a  small  fish  held  crossways  in  its  bill. 

"If  a  Tern  were  shot,  the  effect  was  instantaneous 
and  startling.  Every  voice  was  at  once  hushed, 
hundreds  of  long  narrow  wings  were  set,  and  troops 


STERNA    HIRUNDO  :    WILSON'S    TERN.  363 

of  gliding  arrowy  forms  swept  down  in  silence  to  the 
fallen  victim.  From  the  sky  above,  from  every  nook 
and  corner  of  the  neighboring  sand-hills,  they  came 
hurrying  to  the  spot.  Then,  as  if  at  a  given  signal, 
every  bird  burst  out  afresh  in  cries  of  rage,  protest  and 
despair.  The  effect  was  indescribable.  As  the  graceful 
birds  came  whirling  down  in  perfect  silence,  they  seemed 
like  dread  avengers  seeking  to  bear  away  their  dead 
comrade  and  to  overwhelm  his  destroyer.  If  another 
bird  were  killed,  the  tumult  continued  and  the  excite- 
ment became  even  more  intense ;  but  if  no  further 
molestation  were  offered,  they  gradually  departed  one 
by  one.  This  habit  of  hovering  over  their  slain  com- 
panions, though  undoubtedly  prompted  by  sympathy 
and  social  affection,  is  a  most  unfortunate  one,  as  it 
is  constantly  taken  advantage  of,  and  dozens  are 
frequently  killed  at  a  time. 

"  Upon  Muskegat  the  Terns  have,  or  had  at  the*  time 
of  which  I  write,  another  enemy,  which,  though  second 
in  importance  to  man,  nevertheless  destroyed  large 
numbers  of  these  birds.  This  was  the  Short-eared  Owl 
(Brachyotus  palustris).  A  small  colony  of  these  birds 
had  established  itself  upon  a  certain  elevated  part  of  the 
island,  spending  the  day  in  a  tract  of  densely  matted 
grass.  Scattered  about  in  this  retreat  were  the  remains 
of  at  least  a  hundred  Terns,  that  they  had  killed  and 
eaten.  Many  of  these  were  fresh,  while  others  were  in 
every  stage  of  decomposition,  or  dried  by  the  sun  and 
wind.  In  each  case  the  breast  had  been  picked  clean, 
but  in  no  instance  was  any  other  portion  disturbed. 
Every  day,  at  a  certain  time,  these  Owls  sallied  forth  in 
search  of  fresh  prey.  We  used  regularly  to  see  them 
about  sunset,  sailing  in  circles  over  the  island  or  beating 


364  LARID^E  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 

along  the  crests  of  the  sand-hills.  They  were  invariably 
followed  by  vast  mobs  of  enraged  Terns,  which  dived 
angrily  down  over  the  spot  where  the  Owl  had  alighted, 
or  strung  out  in  the  wake  of  his  flight  like  the  tail  of  a 
comet.  The  Owl  commonly  paid  little  attention  to  this 
unbidden  following,  and  apparently  never  tried  to  seize 
his  persecutors  while  on  the  wing,  but  on  several  occa- 
sions we  saw  a  sitting  bird  pounced  upon  and  borne  off. 
Sometimes  in  the  middle  of  the  night  a  great  outcry 
among  the  Terns  told  where  a  tragedy  was  being 
enacted. 

"  I  found  the  Terns  sadly  diminished  in  numbers 
when  I  last  visited  Muskegat,  in  July,  1874.  Their 
persecutors  were  ravishing  their  stronghold  more  relent- 
lessly than  ever,  and  nearly  every  day  fishermen  came 
from  far  and  near  to  collect  their  eggs.  So  cleanly  had 
they  swept  the  island  that  we  could  find  scarcely  a  nest 
with  eggs,  and  at  that  comparatively  late  date  not 
a  single  young  bird  was  to  be  seen.  In  fact,  the  poor 
Terns  were  kept  laying  like  hens  through  the  whole 
summer.  We  were  told  by  the  fishermen  that  quite  as 
many  eggs  were  obtained  by  them  in  August  as  in  June. 
It  is  doubtful  if  one  pair  in  a  hundred  succeeded  in 
raising  offspring  that  year.  Under  such  conditions  the 
result  is  inevitable.  If  prompt  legislation  be  not 
brought  to  bear  on  the  matter,  the  time  is  near  at  hand 
when  the  waters  of  the  Vineyard  Sound  will  no  longer 
be  enlivened  by  these  innocent  birds.  The  inconsider- 
able destruction  of  small  fishes,  a  reason  that  has  been 
given  for  withholding  protection,  is  of  little  moment, 
and  those  barren,  sandy  shores  can  ill  afford  to  lose  the 
presence  of  the  graceful  Sea-swallow. 

"  Of  the  eggs  of  the  three  species  of  Terns  which  breed 


365 

upon  Muskegat,  little  may  be  said  save  that  they  vary  to 
an  almost  endless  degree,  and  cannot  specifically  be 
distinguished.  The  Wilson's  and  Roseate  Terns  usually 
build  nests,  some  of  which  are  quite  bulky,  with  a  lining 
of  dry  grasses,  upon  a  foundation  of  coarse  twigs  or  sea- 
weed. In  many  cases,  however,  the  eggs  were  simply 
laid  in  a  slight  depression  in'  the  sand.  We  fancied  that 
the  Roseate  Terns  built  more  substantial  domiciles  than 
the  other  species,  but  the  difficulty  of  satisfactorily 
identifying  any  considerable  number  of  nests  rendered  a 
positive  conclusion  hopeless.  The  Arctic  Terns,  as 
before  stated,  bred  apart  from  the  others,  and  laid  their 
eggs  upon  the  bare  sand. 

"  The  notes  of  the  Wilson's  and  Arctic  Terns  vary,  if  at 
all,  only  slightly  in  modulation.  The  ordinary  cry  of 
anger  or  protest  is  a  harsh  vibrating  te-ar-r-r,  that  of 
contentment  or  recognition  a  soft  chick.  They  utter 
various  other  sounds,  all  more  or  less  discordant.  The 
usual  note  of  the  Roseate  Tern  is  a  soft,  mellow  hew-it, 
repeated  at  frequent  intervals.  It  has,  in  addition, 
when  excited  or  angry,  a  cry  which  can  be  closely 
imitated  by  forcibly  tearing  a  strong  piece  of  cotton 
cloth. 

"  One  who  has  never  held  in  his  hand  a  freshly  killed 
Tern  can  scarcely  imagine  its  wonderful  beauty.  The 
delicate,  faultless  outlines  ;  the  long,  slender,  graceful 
wings ;  the  pearly  blue-gray  back,  and  soft  tinting 
beneath,  set  off  by  the  bright  coral-red  of  the  feet  and 
bill,  all  go  to  make  up  a  whole  that  must  satisfy  the 
most  aesthetic  eye.  The  delicate  blush  that  suffuses  the 
breast  of  the  Roseate  Tern  can  only  be  seen  in  its 
perfection  for  a  brief  period  after  death,  for  either  it 
fades  altogether,  or  turns  to  a  dull  salmon  tint  before  the 


366     LARID^E  I  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

bird  becomes  cold.  Like  an  ethereal  grace,  it  shrinks 
and  perishes  before  the  gaze  of  vulgar  eyes. 

"  When  the  cares  of  incubation  are  over,  —  and  sad,  un- 
profitable cares  they  must  be  in  most  cases  for  these  poor 
birds,  —  the  Terns  resort  again  to  the  sand-bars  nearest 
their  chosen  fishing-grounds.  The  waters  about  Nan- 
tucket  are  a  favorite  haunt,  and  through  the  month  of  Sep- 
tember they  swarm  about  every  bay  and  cove  that  indents 
the  shore.  Their  movements,  however,  depend  largely 
upon  those  of  the  blue-fish.  These  voracious  creatures 
prey  upon  the  smaller  fishes,  and,  hunting  always  in 
schools,  by  their  combined  action  drive  the  feeble  fry  to 
the  surface,  when  they  are  seized  by  the  Terns.  The 
fishermen  rely  almost  wholly  upon  the  actions  of  the 
latter  to  discover  the  presence  of  fish  in  the  Sound,  and 
when  a  flock  of  Terns  is  seen  hovering  over  a  certain 
spot,  a  school  of  blue-fish  is  pretty  sure  to  be  at  work 
beneath. 

"  It  is  an  interesting  sight  to  watch  the  birds  collect. 
A  moment  before,  perhaps  only  a  few  were  to  be  seen, 
leisurely  winnowing  their  way  along  the  shore  ;  but  in  an 
incredibly  short  space  of  time  the  lucky  discoverer  of  a 
school  is  surrounded  by  hundreds  of  his  fellows,  and  a 
perfect  swarm  of  eager,  hungry  birds  poises  over  the 
spot.  Dozens  dash  down  at  once,  cleaving  the  water 
like  darts,  and,  rising  again  into  the  air,  shake  the  salt 
spray  from  their  feathers  by  a  single  energetic  move- 
ment, and  make  ready  for  a  fresh  plunge.  Every  bird 
among  them  is  screaming  his  shrillest,  and  the  excite- 
ment waxes  fast  and  furious.  Beneath,  the  blue-fish  are 
making  the  water  boil  by  their  savage  rushes,  and  there 
is  fun  and  profit  for  all  save  the  unfortunate  prey. 
Their  position  is  perhaps  the  best  exemplification  of 


STERNA    HIRUNDO  :    WILSON'S    TERN.  367 

the   "  frying-pan  and  the  fire  "  that  can  be  found  in 
nature. 

"  The  descent  of  a  Tern  upon  its  victim  is  performed 
with  inimitable  ease  and  grace.  The  bird  frequently 
disappears  entirely  beneath  the  surface,  and  occasionally 
even  swims  a  short  distance  under  water  before  reap- 
pearing. The  flight  of  the  Roseate  Tern  is  especially 
dashing  and  beautiful,  with  the  long  cleft  tail  streaming 
out  behind,  or  inclining,  rudder-like,  to  either  side, 
as  the  bird  suddenly  changes  its  course.  I  have  seen 
the  Wilson's  Tern  picking  up  floating  garbage  from  the 
surface  in  the  manner  of  a  Gull,  but  the  food  is  ordinarily 
small  fishes,  which  are  taken  alive. 

"  In  clear  calm  weather  in  September,  few  Terns  will 
be  seen  along  shore.  They  probably  wander  farther  out 
to  sea  at  such  times,  or  congregate  upon  the  sand-bars  to 
rest  and  plume  themselves.  The  cleanliness  of  these 
birds  is  remarkable.  Not  only  is  the  plumage  invariably 
spotless,  but  I  have  on  more  than  one  occasion  seen 
a  wounded  one,  which  had  been  taken  into  the  boat, 
begin  to  arrange  its  disordered  feathers ;  and  its  feeble 
efforts  to  remove  the  blood-stains  from  its  fresh  wounds 
were  truly  touching. 

"  When  the  wind  blows  hard  the  Terns  spend  much  of 
their  time  on  the  wing,  and  then  display  great  restless- 
ness and  activity.  They  seem  to  exult  with  the 
freshening  breeze,  like  ships  that  have  been  becalmed. 
At  such  times  I  have  seen  them  play  for  many  minutes 
with  a  fish  which  one  of  their  number  had  captured. 
The  holder  would  drop  it,  evidently  by  design,  and 
the  whole  troop  go  sweeping  down  in  pursuit.  The 
foremost  was  sure  to  seize  it  before  it  reached  the 
water,  when  it  was  taken  up  into  the  air  and  again 


368  LARID.E  :  JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 

dropped.  In  this  manner  the  prize  would  be  in  turn 
passed  from  one  to  another.  The  game  was  apparently 
well  understood  by  all,  as  no  attempt  was  made  by  any 
of  them  to  devour  the  fish.  Swallows  will  frequently 
play  with  a  feather  in  a  similar  manner. 

"The  ease  with  which  sea-birds  find  their  way 
through  the  densest  fog  is  as  astonishing  as  it  is  inex- 
plicable. I  have  seen  the  Terns  passing  between  the 
fishing-grounds  and  Muskegat  when  it  was  impossible 
for  human  eyes  to  discern  an  object  many  yards  away, 
and  yet  their  course  was  as  direct  and  decided  as  in  the 
clearest  weather.  Indeed,  at  such  times  the  fishermen 
are  often  guided  by  their  flight. 

"  The  Least  Terns  usually  leave  for  the  south  in  the 
latter  part  of  August,  and  the  Short-tailed ,  species  com- 
monly departs  before  the  close^of  the  succeeding  month. 
But  the  Wilson's,  the  Roseate,  and  the  Arctic  Terns 
linger  about  Nantucket  through  the  first  half  of  Octo- 
ber. After  that  their  numbers  thin  rapidly,  and  by  the 
25th  all  are  gone.  The  fishermen  say  that  they  follow 
the  blue-fish  in  their  southward  migration.  However 
that  may  be,  when  the  chilling  blasts  of  early  November 
sweep  across  the  sea,  the  Herring  and  Black-backed 
Gulls  have  taken  their  places  upon  the  sand-bars  about 
Nantucket ;  the  Eider  Duck,  the  Scoter,  the  Whistler, 
and  the  Sheldrake  flock  to  fish  among  the  Muskegat 
'  tide-rips ' ;  and  troops  of  Snow-Buntings  whirl  over 
the  bleak  sand-hills." 


STERNA  FORSTERI  :  FORSTER  S  TERN. 


369 


FORSTER'S  TERN. 
STERNA   FORSTERI  Nutt. 

Chars.  Like  the  last ;  larger,  tail  longer,  and  wings  shorter.  Wing 
of  adult,  950-10.50;  tail,  6.50-8.00,  thus  often  beyond  the  ex- 
treme Q{  hirundo,  and  nearly  as  in  macrura;  bill,  1.66  (1.50-1.75), 
and  about  0.40  deep  at  base  (in  hirundo  rarely  if  ever  so  deep)  ; 
whole  foot,  about  2.00.  Little  or  no  plumbeous  wash  below  ; 
inner  web  of  the  outer  tail-feather  darker  than  the  outer  web  of 
the  same.  Young  and  winter  birds  may  be  distinguished  from 
hirundo  at  gunshot  range  ;  the  black  cap  is  almost  entirely 
wanting,  and  in  its  place  is  a  broad  black  band  on  each  side  of 
the  head  through  the  eye  ;  several  lateral  tail-feathers  are  largely 
dusky  on  their  inner  webs,  their  outer  webs  being  white. 

Though  one  of  the  common  and  generally  distributed 
Terns  of  North  America,  For- 
ster's  is  rare  in  New  England, 
where  it  is  not  known  to  breed. 
It  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  only 
a  casual  or  irregular  visitor  ;  but 
probably  no  season  of  migration 
passes  without  the  presence  of 
the  bird  along  our  shores.  It 
is  chiefly  seen  in  the  fall,  during 
the  month  of  September  and  in 
immature  plumage.  The  first 
definite  record  for  Massachu- 
setts, if  not  for  New  England,  seems  to  have  been 
given  by  Mr.  Brewster  (Am.  Nat.,  vi,  1872,  p.  306).  Mr. 
Purdie  notes  it  from  the  Massachusetts  coast  (Am.  Nat, 
vii,  1873,  p.  693),  and  Mr.  N.  T.  Lawrence  speaks  of  two 
Rhode  Island  specimens  (For.  and  Str.,  x,  1878,  p.  235). 
It  has  lately  been  ascertained  to  breed  on  the  Virginia 


FIG.  78.  — FOOT  OF  FORSTER'S 
TERN.    Nat.  size. 


37O        LARIM:  :  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

coast  (Brewster,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  126).  Its 
habits  are  in  all  respects  the  same  as  those  of  Wilson's 
Tern. 


ARCTIC  TERN. 
STERNA  MACRURA  Naum. 

Chars.  Bill  carmine  or  lake-red  throughout ;  feet  vermilion  ;  plu- 
mage like  that  vihirundo,  but  much  darker  below,  the  plumbeous 
wash  so  heavy  that  these  parts  are  but  little  if  any  paler  than 
the  mantle  ;  crissum  pure  white  in  marked  contrast ;  throat  and 
sides  of  the  neck  pale  or  white.  In  winter,  cap  defective ;  in 
young,  the  same.  Upper  parts  patched  with  gray,  brown,  or 
rufous  ;  under  parts  paler  or  white  ;  a  dark  bar  on  the  wing ; 
outer  webs  of  several  tail-feathers  dusky  ;  bill  blackish  or  dusky- 
red  with  yellow  on  the  under  mandible  ;  feet  dull  orange.  Smaller 
than  hirundo,  but  tail  much  longer.  Length,  14.00-17.00;  ex- 
tent, 28.00-30.00 ;  wing,  10.00-12.00;  tail,  5.00-8.00;  bill,  1.20- 
1.40;  tarsus,  only  0.50-0.67  ;  whole  foot,  about  1.50. 

Like  the  Common  Tern,  the  Arctic  ranges  all  along 
the  coast,  only  less  numerously  than  5.  hirundo,  and  in 
about  equal  numbers  with  5.  dougalli.  There  is  noth- 
ing in  its  habits  to  distinguish  it  from  its  relatives,  a 
full  account  of  which  has  already  been  given.  It  is  one 
of  the  most  elegant  species  of  the  family,  with  lithe 
form,  pearly  color,  and  a  sweep  of  swallow-like  tail  only 
rivalled  by  the  Roseate  Tern;  while  none  of  the  family 
surpasses  it  in  buoyancy  and  grace  of  flight.  The  so- 
called  Portland  Tern,  S.  portlandica*  is  simply  the  young 
of  this  species. 

«  See  Ridgway,  Am.  Nat.,  viii,  1874,  p.  433  5  Coues,  Birds  North- 
west, 1874,  p.  691 ;  Bfewster,  Am.  Sportsm.,  v,  Jan.  16,  1875,  p.  249. 


S.    SUPERCILIARIS   ANTILLARUM :   LEAST   TERN. 

ROSEATE  TERN. 
STERNA  DOUGALLI  Mont. 

Chars.  Bill  black,  usually  orange  at  base  below ;  mantle  very  pale 
pearly-blue ;  primaries  with  the  white  band  broad  and  usually 
extending  to  the  very  tip.  Below,  pure  white,  or  rosy-tinted ; 
feet  coral-red.  Changes  of  plumage  as  in  other  species.  Length, 
12. 00-16.00  ;  wing,  9.00-10.00  ;  tail,  5.00-8.00  ;  bill,  1.33-1.67, 
very  slender  ;  tarsus,  0.75-0.87. 

This  most  elegant  of  all  our  Terns  occurs  in  New  Eng- 
land under  the  circumstances 
already  fully  detailed  under  head 
of  5.  hirundo.  The  principal 
point  to  be  noted  is,  that  this 
is  a  southerly  bird,  unknown  in 
the  very  high  latitudes  to  which 
Wilson's  and  the  Arctic  Tern  re- 
sort to  breed.  In  fact,  it  chiefly 
occurs  with  us  south  of  Cape 
Cod,  which  may  be  regarded  as 
the  normal  limit  of  its  extension, 
though  it  is  known  to  occur  as 

r  ,.  ,.         -,  TII  FIG.  79.  — ROSEATE  TERN. 

far  north  as  the  Green  Islands, 

in  Casco  Bay,  Maine,  where  Mr.  Brewster  once  observed 

a  small  flock  in  July  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  P-  1S)> 


LEAST  TERN. 
STERNA  SUPERCILIARIS  ANTILLARUM  (Less.)  Coues. 

Chars.     Bill  yellow,  usually  tipped  with  black  ;  mantle  pale  pearly 
grayish-blue,  extending  unchanged  on  the'rump  and  tail ;  a  white 


3/2  LARID^  :   JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 

frontal  crescent  separating  the  black  cap  from  the  bill,  bounded 
below  by  a  black  loral  stripe  reaching  the  bill ;  shafts  of  two  or 
more  outer  primaries  black  on  the  upper  surface,  white  under- 
neath ;  feet  orange.  Young  :  cap  too  defective  to  show  the  cres- 
cent ;  bill  dark,  much  of  the  under  mandible  pale  ;  feet  obscured. 
Very  small.  Length,  only  8.00-9.00  ;  wing,  6.00-6.50  ;  tail,  2.00- 
3.50;  bill,  1.00-1.25;  tarsus,  0.67. 

The  distribution  of  the  Least  Tern  is  nearly  coincident 
with  that  of  the  Roseate,  being  for  the  most  part  re- 
stricted by  Cape  Cod  in  northward  extension. 

The  usual  number  of  eggs  of  this  species  is  two,  not 
three,  and  often  only  one  is  laid.  They  do  not  average 
over  1.25x1.00,  being  therefore  decidedly  smaller  than 
those  of  the  foregoing  three  species  of  Sterna,  and  diffi- 
cult to  find  unless  the  birds  are  very  numerous,  because 
their  color  closely  assimilates  that  of  their  surround- 
ings. The  ground  color  varies  from  clear  pale  greenish- 
white  to  pale  dull  drab  or  olivaceous.  The  markings 
are  numerous,  and  generally  distributed,  though  they 
frequently  tend  to  wreathe  around  the  large  end,  espe- 
cially when  they  are  of  large  size ;  they  consist  of  small 
splashes,  irregular  spots,  and  mere  dots  of  clear  brown 
of  several  shades,  together  with  numerous  pale,  ill- 
defined  lilac  or  gray  shell-markings. 


SOOTY  TERN. 
STERNA  FULIGINOSA  Gm. 

Chars.  No  occipital  crest ;  bill  and  feet  black.  Above,  brownish- 
black,  continuous  from  head  to  tail ;  under  parts,  outer  web  of 
outer*  tail-feather,  and  a  frontal  crescent,  white.  Very  young 
birds  are  fuliginous,  speckled  with  white.  Length,  15.00-17.00; 
wing,  1 1.00-12.00;  tail,  6.00-8.00;  bill,  1.50-2.00;  tarsus,  0.87. 


STERNA    FULIGINOSA  :    SOOTY    TERN  3/3 

This  is  another  straggler,  — one  of  the  four  Terns  of 
casual  occurrence,  among  the  eleven  species  known  to 
occur  in  New  England.  It  was  properly  given  as  a 
bird  of  our  country  by  Samuels  and  Coues,  not  to  men- 
tion any  earlier  trace  there  may  be  of  its  presence  in 
this  country.  (See  Allen,  Pr.  Essex  Inst,  iv,  1864,  p. 
90  ;  Coues,  ibid.,  v,  1868,  p.  309  ;  Samuels,  App.  to  Orn. 
and  Ool.  of  N.  E.,  1867,  p.  583;  Maynard,  Nat.  Guide, 
1870,  p.  157.)  In  1875  it  was  formally  expunged  from 
the  list  by  Dr.  Brewer,  with  the  remark:  "This  is  a 
southern  species,  unknown  on  our  coast,  or  that  of  New 
Jersey"  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  443) ;  after  which, 
as  usual  in  such  cases,  the  explicit  records  of  its  pres- 
ence began  to  multiply. 

"  Mr.  Clark  informs  me  that  he  has  this  species  in 
his  collection,  mounted  from  a  bird  that  last  summer 
flew  against  the  side  of  the  steamboat-wharf  depot  at 
Saybrook,  Conn.  (Purdie,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  ii,  1877,  p.  22). 

Mr.  Ruthven  Deane  records  "the  capture  of  a  fine 
adult  male  on  the  Merrimac  River,  near  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  on  October  29,  1876.  I  examined  the  specimen 
at  the  store  of  Mr.  Charles  I.  Goodale,  taxidermist,  who 
has  finely  preserved  it,  and  it  is  now  in  the  possession 
of  Mr.  W.  A.  Rowland  of  Lawrence  "  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 
ii,  1877,  p.  27).  Mr.  Deane  also  tells  us  of  a  specimen, 
the  tenth  for  New  England,  "a  fine  adult  male,  taken  at 
Newmarket,  N.  H.,  about  Sept.  14,  1878,  by  Mr.  D.  C. 
Wiggin.  I  am  indebted  to  Mr.  Charles  I.  Goodale,  who 
has  preserved  the  specimen,  for  the  above  facts  "  (ibid., 
iii,  1878,  p.  195). 

Mr.  Merriam  adds  to  the  New  England  history  of 
this  bird  the  following  facts  :  "  A  rare  visitor  from  the 
south.  Prof.  Sanborn  Tenney  states  that  a  specimen 


374  LARID.E  I  JAEGERS,    GULLS,    TERNS,    ETC. 

was  killed  as  far  inland  as  the  northwest  corner  of 
Massachusetts  ('near  the  Hoosac  River'),  in  Septem- 
ber, 1876  (Am.  Nat.,  xi,  1877,  p.  243).  Mr.  Fred.  T. 
Jencks,  of  Providence,  R.  L,  writes  me  that  he  took  a 
particularly  beautiful  specimen  at  Point  Judith,  R.  L, 
last  fall.  Two  adult  birds  killed  themselves  last  Sep- 
tember, by  flying  against  the  light-house  tower  at  Falk- 
ner's  Island.  One  of  them  is  now  in  the  collection  of 
Capt.  O.  N.  Brooks  of  that  place.  Mr.  Elbert  Coe,  of 
Stony  Creek,  Conn.,  has  a  mounted  specimen  which 
was  killed  there  with  a  stone,  late  in  the  summer  (1876). 
Mr.  Norman  Elmore,  of  Granby,  Conn.,  has  just  sent 
me,  for  examination,  a  bird  of  this  species  that  was 
taken  in  that  vicinity,  Sept.  20,  1876.  The  Rev.  J. 
Howard  Hand  writes  me  that  it  was  procured  in  a  sin- 
gular place  and  manner.  '  It  was  knocked  down  with 
a  stick  by  a  gentleman  who  was  netting  Wild  Pigeons. 
He  first  saw  it,  I  think,  on  the  pigeon  poles.  He  got 
it  alive,  but  of  course  could  not  get  it  to  eat,  and  after 
keeping  it  two  or  three  days  it  died/  This,  and  the 
one  killed  by  Elbert  Coe,  Esq.,  are  both  in  the  young- 
of-the-year  plumage  described  by  Coues.  It  is  a  sin- 
gular fact  that  all  these  specimens  were  killed  last  fall, 
and  probably  all  in  September"  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877, 
p.  134).  There  was  evidently  an  irruption  of  the  birds 
into  New  England  that  fall.  Mr.  Allen's  summary  of 
these  records  makes  six  Connecticut  cases,  one  for 
Rhode  Island,  and  two  for  Massachusetts  (Bull.  Essex 
Inst,  x,  1878,  p.  30). 

Mr.  Deane  records  a  remarkable  case,  of  which  he 
says :  "  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Horace  R.  True, 
I  have  recently  examined  an  adult  specimen  of  Sterna 
fuliginosa,  which  was  captured  aliva  in  the  town  of 


H.    LARIFORMIS  I    BLACK    OR   SHORT-TAILED    TERN.       375 

Parkman,  Piscataquis  Co.,  Me.,  some  eighty  miles  from 
the  coast,  Oct.  5,  1878"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880, 
p.  64). 

See  also  Dr.  Brewer's  Chatham,  Mass.,  record  (Pr. 
Bost.  Soc.,  xix,  1878,  p.  308),  and  Vermont  case  (ibid., 
xx,  1879,  p.  276). 


BLACK  OR  SHORT-TAILED  TERN. 
HYDROCHELIDON  LARIFORMIS  (L.}  Cones. 

Chars.  Adult  in  breeding  plumage :  head,  neck,  and  under  parts, 
uniform  jet-black  ;  back,  wings  and  tail,  plumbeous ;  primaries 
unstriped  ;  crissum  pure  white  ;  bill  black.  In  winter,  and  young 
birds,  the  black  is  mostly  replaced  by  white  on  the  forehead,  sides 
of  head  and  under  parts,  the  crown,  occiput  and  neck  behind, 
with  the  sides  under  the  wings,  being  dusky-gray  ;  a  dark  auric- 
ular patch  and  another  before  the  eye.  In  a  very  early  stage, 
the  upper  parts  are  varied  with  dull  brown.  Small  :  wing,  8.00- 
9.00,  little  less  than  the  whole  length  of  the  bird ;  tail,  3.50,  sim- 
ply forked  ;  bill,  1.12  :  tarsus,  0.67  ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  1.12. 

A  rare  but  regular  migrant  in  spring  and  fall.  Dr. 
Brewer  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  .140)  mentions  the 
capture,  by  George  H.  Mackay,  of  this  bird  at  Nan- 
tucket,  Buzzard's  Bay,  August  8,  1877.  The  valuable 
contribution  of  Mr.  William  Brewster  states  that  he 
observed  "  a  large  number  of  individuals  "  on  this  same 
island,  and  in  August,  1878,  and  on  the  i6th  of  the 
same  month,  eight  individuals  were  seen  in  the  harbor 
near  the  town,  and  several  were  shot  and  examined 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iii,  1878,  p.  190).  Mr.  N.  C.  Brown 
tells  us  that  "two  young  examples  of  H.  lariformis 
were  taken  in  Scarborough  (Me.)  the  last  autumn,  and 


376     LARID.E  :  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

are  probably,  with  one  exception,  the  first  detected 
within  the  limits  of  the  State  "  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879, 
p.  108).  Mr.  Merriam  says:  *'A  rare  visitor,  occurring 
chiefly  in  fall.  Though  essentially  an  inland  species, 
it  is  sometimes  found  along  the  coast  during  migra- 
tions. Capt.  Brooks  took  one  specimen  near  Goose 
Island,  Conn.,  about  twelve  years  ago,  —  the  only  one 
he  has  ever  seen.  Mr.  George  Bird  Grinnell  informs  me 
that  his  brother  shot  a  bird  of  this  species  late  in  August, 
near  Milford,  Conn/'  Through  Mr.  Deane,  Mr.  G.  A. 
Boardman  records  three  from  Grand  Menan,  and  writes, 
"This  Tern  seems  to  be  of  unusual  occurrence  on  the 
Maine  coast"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  v,  1880,  p.  63).  Ob- 
viously, then,  in  view  of  these  records,  the  Black  Tern 
must  take  its  place  as  a  regular  New  England  bird, 
though  a  rare  one,  and  one  which  is  not  known  to 
breed  with  us.  Unlike  our  species  of  Sterna,  it  is  not 
specially  a  maritime  bird,  and  its  usual  breeding  places 
are  swamps  and  sloughs  in  the  interior  of  North  America, 
especially  the  Western  States  and  Territories. 


BLACK    SKIMMER. 
RHYNCHOPS  NIGRA  L. 

Chars.  Among  the  singular  bills  of  birds  which  frequently  excite 
our  wonder,  that  of  the  Skimmer  is  one  of  the  most  anomalous. 
The  under  mandible  is  much  longer  than  the  upper,  compressed 
like  a  knife-blade  ;  its  end  is  obtuse  ;  its  sides  come  abruptly 
together,  and  are  completely  soldered  ;  the  upper  edge  is  as 
sharp  as  the  under,  and  fits  a  groove  in  the  upper  mandible  ; 
the  jaw-bone,  viewed  apart,  looks  like  a  short-handled  pitchfork. 
The  upper  mandible  is  also  compressed,  but  less  so,  nor  is  it 


RHYNCHOPS  NIGRA  :  BLACK  SKIMMER.       377 

so  obtuse  at  the  end  ;  its  substance  is  nearly  hollow,  with  light 
cancellated  structure,  much  as  in  a  toucan  ;  it  is  freely  movable 
by  means  of  an  elastic  hinge  at  the  forehead.  Plumage  glossy 
black,  the  forehead,  sides  of  head  and  neck,  and  all  under  parts, 
pure  white,  or  rosy-tinted ;  tail  ashy  and  white  ;  bill  red,  black- 
tipped  ;  feet  orange.  Young :  grayish-black  or  dull  brown  above, 
varied  with  white  ;  bill  yellow,  dusky-tipped.  Length,  16.00- 
20.00  inches;  extent,  3.00-4.00  feet ;  wing,  13.00-15.00  inches; 
tail,  4.00-5.00,  forked;  under  mandible,  3.25-4.50;  upper,  2.50-3.00. 

"The  only  record  of  this  species  occurring  in  New 
England,  was  given  by  Linsley  in  1843,  in  his  Catalogue 


FIG.  So.  —  BILL  OF  SKIMMER.    Nat.  size. 

of  the  Birds  of  Connecticut  ;  but  since  then,  writers 
have  considered  that  it  was  given  without  sufficient 
proof. 

"  Under  date  of  Aug.  20,  1879,  Mr.  Charles  I.  Goodale 
writes  me  that  three  specimens  of  the  Black  Skimmer 
were  shot  at  Sandwich,  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  on  the  iQth 
inst.,  and  that  the  next  day  a  fourth  specimen  was 
killed  off  Pettock's  Island,  Boston  Harbor,  which  latter 
bird  he  has  preserved. 

"  My  friend,  Mr.  George  A.  Boardman,  of  Milltown, 
St.  Stephens,  N.  B.,  under  date  of  Aug.  31,  1879,  writes 
me  that  there  had  been  a  flight  of  Skimmers  in  his 
locality,  and  that  seven  specimens  had  been  killed  off 


3/8     LARID^E  :  JAEGERS,  GULLS,  TERNS,  ETC. 

Grand  Menan  and  Campobello  Island,  and  that  they 
were  seen  at  St.  Andrews,  at  the  head  of  Passamaquoddy 
Bay.  On  the  same  date,  while  sailing  some  ten  miles 
from  shore  off  Saco,  Maine,  I  saw  a  single  bird,  undoubt- 
edly of  this  species,  flying  rapidly  along  the  surface  of 
the  water. 

"  Is  it  not  a  little  strange  that  a  bird  that  has  escaped 
our  observation  for  years,  should  appear  so  suddenly, 
and  at  various  points  along  the  coast  from  Cape  Cod  to 
the  Bay  of  Fundy  ? " 

The  foregoing  is  the  notice  given  by  Mr.  Ruthven 
Deane  in  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  242.  But  he 
overlooks  Prof.  Emmons's  record  of  1833,  where  the 
bird  is  marked  as  a  breeder  on  the  Massachusetts  coast. 
Both  Linsley  and  Emmons  were  probably  correct,  though 
the  former's  record  for  Connecticut  is  disallowed  by  Dr. 
Merriam. 

Dr.  Brewer  remarks :  "  Prof.  Baird,  in  a  letter  dated 
August  23,  informs  me  that,  having  occasion  to  visit 
Woods'  Holl  (Falmouth,  Mass.),  a  few  days  previous,  he 
saw  there  a  young  example  of  Rhynchops  nigra,  which 
had  been  shot  at  that  place  on  the  iQth  of  that  month, 
by  a  son  of  Rev.  Dr.  Hiram  Carleton,  an  Episcopal  min- 
ister, resident  in  the  village.  This  example  is  to  be 
presented  to  the  New  England  collection  of  the  Boston 
Society  of  Natural  History"  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879, 
p.  243).  Dr.  Brewer  also  gives  the  same  case  in  Pr. 
Bost.  Soc.,  xx,  1879,  P-  277-  In  the  same  number  of 
the  Bulletin,  a  few  pages  back  (p.  227),  I  find  that  Mr. 
Scott  says  of  it,  on  Long  Beach,  N.  J.,  "  This  is  appar- 
ently the  northern  limit  of  the  breeding  range  of  this 
species,  and  everywhere  they  are  rather  rare.  I  first 
saw  them  on  the  loth  of  June,  and  do  not  think  they 


RHYNCHOPS    NIGRA  I    BLACK    SKIMMER. 

bred  here.     But  on  Brigantine  Beach,  and  at  Little  Egg 
Harbor,  they  are  abundant,  and  breed  in  numbers." 

There  was  evidently  an  irruption  of  Skimmers  upon 
the  New  England  coast  in  1879.  In  addition  to  the 
above  notices,  see  also  Boardman,  Oologist,  v,  1879,  p. 
13,  and  especially  Purdie,  Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p. 
125.  Mr.  Purdie,  in  this  place,  brings  up  an  old  record, 
published  over  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago  in  Cham- 
plain's  Voyages,  to  the  effect  that  a  bird  which,  from 
the  description,  was  unquestionably  this  species,  was 
seen  by  Champlain  while  cruising  off  Cape  Cod  in  July, 
1605.  Mr.  Purdie  adds  :  "That  this  species  was  found 
on  our  shores  early  in  this  century  is  proved  by  the  older 
inhabitants  of  the  place  telling  me  that  'them  cutwater 
or  shearwater  birds  used  to  be  with  us  summer  times.' 
Also,  Mr.  Brewster  informs  me,  that  Nantucket  fisher- 
men assert  that  Skimmers  bred  on  Muskegat  Island 
fifty  years  ago." 


380  PROCELLARIIM:  :  PETRELS. 


FAMILY  PROCELLARIID^E:  PETRELS. 

FULMAR    PETREL. 

FULMARUS    GLACIALIS    (L.)    Stepk. 

Chars.  Tail  12-1 4- feathered  ;  bill  straight,  very  stout,  hooked  at 
end,  obviously  shorter  than  the  tarsus.  Adult  white,  the  mantle 
pale  pearly-blue,  frequently  extending  on  the  neck  and  tail ;  quills 
blackish-brown  ;  usually  a  dark  spot  before  the  eye  ;  bill  yellow  ; 
feet  the  same,  tinged  with  greenish.  Young :  smoky-gray,  paler 
below,  the  feathers  of  the  back  and  wings  dark-edged  ;  colors  of 
bill  and  feet  obscured.  Coloration  thus  much  like 'one  of  the 
Gull  family.  Length  usually  about  16.50,  but  from  15.00  to  18.00  ; 
wing,  12.00-13.00  ;  tail,  4.00-5.00  ;  tarsus  about  2.00  ;  bill,  1.33- 
1.67,  about  0.75  deep  and  almost  as  wide  at  base  ;  nasal  tubes 
0.60. 

Leaving  now  the  coasting  Gulls  and  Terns,  which 
seldom  venture  far  from  land,  we  bear  straight  out 
to  sea,  and  are  already  among  this  interesting  family  of 
oceanic  birds,  so  little  known  to  any  but  those  who  "  go 
down  the  sea  in  ships."  Several  species  of  the  Procella- 
riidce  cultivate  the  "  fisherman's  farm  "  of  New  England  ; 
some  of  them  so  plentifully  that  they  are  themselves 
objects  of  economic  value. 

The  first  to  be  noticed  is  the  Fulmar  Petrel,  one  of 
the  largest  of  all,  but  not  one  of  the  most  numerous.  In 
fact  it  is  usually  cited  as  a  rare  bird,  and  certainly 
no  such  great  gatherings  of  Fulmars  as  occur  over 
more  northern  and  some  European  waters  are  known  to 
New  Englanders.  But  Fulmars  are  common  enough  to 
have  received  several  names  from  sailors,  who  call  them 
"  Noddies  "  and  "  Marble-headers."  Of  their  breeding 


PROCELLARIA  PELAGICA  :  STORMY  PETREL.    381 

resorts,  if  any,  within  our  limits,  nothing  is  known  ;  the 
birds  being  chiefly  seen  in  winter.  In  other  regions 
they  resort  by  thousands  to  breed  in  particular  spots, 
laying  a  single  large  white  egg  in  recesses  of  the  rocks. 
Like  many  other  birds  of  their  family,  they  may  be 
taken  with  hook  and  line,  as  noted  by  Dr.  Brewer  in  the 
following  extract:  "On  Monday,  November  4,  I&/8,  I 
saw  a  living  specimen  in  the  yard  of  Mr.  George  O. 
Welch,  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  to  whom  it  had  been  sent  to  be 
mounted  for  the  Smithsonian  Institution.  Mr.  James 
W.  Milner  writes  me  that  this  specimen  of  the  Fulmar 
Petrel  was  taken  by  Captain  William  Sweet,  of  the  fish- 
ing schooner  Grace  C.  Hadley,  on  a  codhook,  on  the 
eastern  part  of  the  George's  Bank,  which  is  a  very  little 
south  of  east  of  Boston,  and  certainly  belongs  to  the 
New  England  coast.  It  was  taken  October  28,  1878." 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  iv,  1879,  p.  64.) 

The  bird  was  admitted  to  our  fauna  by  probably 
all  writers  upon  the  subject,  until  expunged  by  Dr. 
Brewer,  shortly  before  the  note  above  quoted  was 
published  (see  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  453). 


STORMY  PETREL  ;  MOTHER  CAREY'S 
CHICKEN. 

PROCELLARIA  PELAGICA  L. 

Chars.  Blackish,  more  fuliginous  below,  the  greater  wing-coverts 
more  grayish,  the  quills,  tail,  bill,  and  feet  black  ;  upper  tail- 
coverts  white,  with  black  tips,  and  usually  some  white  under  the 
tail  and  wings  ;  no  yellow  on  the  webs  ;  tail  a  little  rounded. 
Length,  5.75  ;  wing,  4.75  ;  tail,  2.50  ;  bill,  0.50,  its  height  at  base 
0.20  ;  tarsus,  0.90  ;  tibiae  bare  0.33. 


382  PROCELLARIID^:  :    PETRELS. 

Of  the  three  species  of  "  Carey's  Chickens,"  attrib- 
uted to  our  waters,  the  present  one  is  certainly  the 
rarest,  and  some  have  found  reason  to  doubt  its  occur- 
rence. It  is,  however,  so  similar  in  general  appearance 
to  the  other  two,  that  it  might  readily  be  overlooked ; 
and  we  are  not  willing  to  expunge  it  from  our  list  only 
to  be,  at  the  pains  of  reinstating  it  in  the  future.  In 
point  of  fact,  we  have  no  doubt  that  it  occurs.  Both 
Verrill  and  Boardman  accredit  it  to  Maine ;  see  for 
example  Pr.  Essex  Inst.,  iii,  p.  160,  or  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  ix, 
1863,  p.  234. 

LEACH'S  PETREL. 

CYMOCHOREA  LEUCORRHOA   ( K)  Coties. 

Chars.  Coloration  as  in  the  last  species,  with  conspicuous  white 
upper  tail-coverts,  but  apt  to  be  lighter  —  rather  of  a  grayish  or 
even  ashy  tint  on  some  parts.  Much  larger :  length  about  8.00  ; 
wing,  6.00-6.50;  tail,  3.00-350,  forked;  tarsus  about  i.oo; 
middle  toe  and  claw  the  same ;  bill,  0.67,  strong. 

Resident  off  the  coast,  and  the  most  abundant  of  the 

three  species.  It  is  known 
to  breed  from  Maine  north- 
ward, and  may  occasionally 
be  seen  in  summer  any- 
where else  within  our  limits. 
Dr.  Merriam,  in  fact,  is  in- 
clined to  believe  that  a  few 
of  this  species  may  breed  on 
,  _  the  islands  off  the  Connecti- 

FIG.  8z.  —  LEACH'S  PETREL. 

cut  coast.  It  nests  in  bur- 
rows in  the  ground,  laying  a  single  white  egg,  often  faintly 
spotted  about  one  end,  measuring  about  1.30x0.90. 


OCEANITES    OCEANICUS  :    WILSON*S    PETREL.          383 

WILSON'S   PETREL. 
OCEANITES  OCEANICUS  (Kuht)  Coues. 

Chars.  Dark  sooty-brown,  pale  gray  on  the  wing-coverts ;  the 
upper  tail-coverts,  and  frequently  the  crissum  and  sides  of  rump 
and  base  of  tail,  white  ;  bill  and  feet  black,  but  webs  with  a 
yellow  spot.  Legs  very  long ;  tibise  bare  an  inch  or  more  ;  tarsi 
"booted,"  much  longer  than  the  toes  ;  claws  flat,  obtuse  ;  bill 
small  and  weak  ;  hind  toe  very  minute,  liable  to  be  overlooked. 
Length,  7.00-8.00 ;  wing  about  6.00 ;  tail,  3.00,  nearly  even ; 
tarsus,  1.75  ;  middle  toe  and  claw  1.12^;  bill  only  .50. 

Common,  under  the  same  circumstances  as  the  last, 
with  which  it  is  frequently  found  in  association,  though 
we  are  not  aware  that  its  breeding  within  our  limits  is 
sufficiently  attested. 


GREATER   OR   WANDERING    SHEARWATER. 
PUFFINUS  MAJOR  Faber. 

Chars.  Dark  bistre-brown,  somewhat  plumbeous  on  the  head,  most 
feathers  of  the  back  and  wings  with  pale  edges,  most  upper  tail- 
coverts  partly  white;  below,  white,  with  a  plain  line  of  demarca- 
tion from  the  color  of  the  upper  parts  on  the  side  of  the  head 
and  fore  neck,  and  dark  flank-patches  ;  quills  and  tail  blackish, 
paler  or  whitish  at  bases  of  inner  webs  ;  lining  of  wings  mostly 
white ;  crissum  mostly  dark  ;  bill  dark ;  outside  of  tarsus  and 
outer  toe  dark,*rest  of  feet  pale.  Length,  18.00-20.00;  extent, 
45.00;  wing,  13.00;  tail,  5.75,  outer  feathers  an  inch  less;  bill, 
2.00  ;  tarsus,  2.40 ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  2.80. 

This  is  the  commonest  species  of  the  genus,  occur- 
ring all  along  the  New  England  coast.  It  is  well 
known  to  the  fishermen  under  the  name  of  "Hagdon," 


384  PROCELLARIIM:  :  PETRELS. 

or  "  Hag,"  and  sufficiently  numerous  to  be  with  them 
of  economic  value,  being  often  captured  with  hook  and 
line,  and  used  for  bait.  At  the  same  time,  nothing  is 
known  of  its  breeding  resorts,  if  any,  within  our  limits. 
The  nesting  of  birds  of  this  genus  resembles  that  of  the 
Carey  Chickens,  a  single  white  egg  being  deposited  in 
burrows  under  ground  or  among  rocks.  The  present 
species  is  chiefly  known  with  us  as  a  winter  bird,  and 
it  generally  keeps  far  off  shore, '  as,  for  example,  on 
Georges  Banks,  where  it  is  said  to  be  particularly  abun- 
dant. Dr.  Merriam  speaks  of  a  specimen  stated  to  have 
been  killed  at  Granby,  Conn.  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 
136.)  

NORTHERN  SHEARWATER.  (?) 

PUFFINUS    BOREALIS   Cory. 

Of  this  alleged  species  we  have  no  further  informa- 
tion than  that  given  by  Mr.  Cory,  in  Bull.  Nutt.  Club, 
vi,  1 88 1,  p.  84,  where  it  is  described  as  new  from  speci- 
mens taken  off  Cape  Cod,  Mass.  The  validity  of  the 
species  would  appear  to  be  not  yet  established  ;  but 
having  seen  no  specimens,  we  prefer  to  reserve  further 
opinion  in  the  case. 

MANKS   SHEARWATER. 
PUFFINUS  ANGLORUM  Temm. 

Chars.  Blackish,  this  color  extending  below  the  eyes,  leaving  the 
under  eyelid  white  ;  under  parts,  including  crissum  and  lining 

.  of  wings,  white  ;  bill  greenish-black ;  outside  of  foot  Vnostly 
blackish,  inner  side  dingy  orange.  Length  about  15.00  ;  extent, 


PUFFINUS    FULIGINOSUS  :    SOOTY    SHEARWATER.       38$ 

33.00  ;  wing,  9.50  ;  tail,  4.00,  graduated  0.75  ;  bill,  1.33-1.50,  but 
nearly  0.50  deep  at  base;  tarsus  under  2.00 ;  middle  toe  and 
claw,  2.00,  or  rather  less. 

This  is  a  species  which  has  been  admitted  to  our 
Fauna  for  many  years,  but  upon  authority  which,  to  say 
the  least,  requires  confirmation.  Dr.  Brewer  claims  that 
no  specimen  has  ever  been  taken,  and  is  probably  right 
in  so  doing  (see  Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xvii,  1875,  p. 
453,  and  xx,  1879,  P-  275  5  ^Iso  Allen,  Bull.  Essex  Inst., 
x,  1878,  p.  35).  At  the  same  time,  we  do  not  feel  at 
liberty  to  refuse  to  recognize  records  which  have  passed 
unchallenged  for  many  years,  and  which  we  are  not 
prepared  to  disprove.  There  is  unquestionably,  in  our 
opinion,  a  small  New  England  Shearwater,  neither 
P.  major  nor  P.  fuliginosus,  perfectly  well  known  to 
fishermen,  if  not  to  our  ornithologists.  Capt.  J.  W.  Col- 
lins, of  the  U.  S.  Fish  Commission,  a  very  accurate 
observer,  assures  us  of  this,  he  himself  knowing  of 
three  species  of  "  Hags,"  one  of  which  is  the  common 
P.  'major,  another  is  the  one  all  blackish,  P.  fuliginosus, 
the  third  being  the  one  in  question,  like  P.  major,  but 
smaller,  darker  above,  and  white  below.  Mr.  R.  S.  New- 
comb,  since  naturalist  of  the  ill-fated  "  Jeannette  "  expe- 
dition, also  speaks  of  different  kinds  of  "  Hags,"  among 
them  P.  anglorum. 


SOOTY   SHEARWATER. 

PUFFINUS  FULIGINOSUS  A.  Strickl. 

Chars.  Dark  sooty-brown,  blackening  on  the  quills  and  tail ;  paler 
and  grayish  below,  usually  with  some  whitish  on  the  lining  of  the 
wings ;  bill  dark ;  feet  dark  outside,  pale  on  the  inner  aspect. 


386  PROCELLARIID^E  :    PETRELS. 

Length,  18.00  ;  extent,  40.00  ;  wing,  12.00  ;  tail,  4.00  ;  bill,  1.75- 
2.00  ;  tarsus,  2.20-2.33  ;  middle  toe  and  claw,  2.50. 

A  species  of  common  occurrence  off  the  coast,  usually 
in  company  with  the  P.  major,  from  which,  however,  it 


FIG.  81.  —  SOOTY  SHEARWATER.    Nat.  size. 

is  entirely  distinct.  It  is  well  known  to  the  fishermen 
as  the  "Black  Hagdon."  It  appears  to  be  chiefly  a 
winter  bird,  and  its  breeding  resorts  within  our  limits, 
if  any,  are  unknown. 


PINTADO   PETREL. 
DAPTIUM  CAPENSE  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Upper  parts  conspicuously  spotted  with  white  upon  a  black- 
ish ground ;  under  parts  white ;  tail  black  barred ;  bill  black, 
stout,  much  hooked.  Length,  15.00;  wing,  n.oo;  tail,  4.50; 
bill,  1.33  ;  tarsus,  1.67. 

As  these  sheets  are  passing  the  press  we  learn  from 
Mr.  Purdie  of  this  most  interesting  acquisition  to  our 
Fauna,  which  is  no  less  remarkable  than  that  of  dEstre- 
lata  gularis,  recently  taken  in  New  York  (Bull.  Nutt. 
Club,  vi,  1 88 1,  p.  91) ;  both  species  being  birds  of  the 


DAPTIUM    CAPENSE  :    PINTADO    PETREL.  387 

Southern  Hemisphere.  There  appears  to  be  no  reason- 
able question  in  this  case.  The  bird  is  said  to  have 
been  shot  at  Harpswell,  Casco  Bay,  Maine,  and  is  now 
preserved  in  the  collection  of  the  Natural  History  Soci- 
ety of  Worcester,  Mass.,  where  it  is  or  was  labelled 
"  Manks  Shearwater."  The  identification  of  the  speci- 
men rests  upon  Mr.  Purdie's  authority.  I  have  seen  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Purdie  from  Mr.  E.  H.  Forbush,  of  Wor- 
cester, -  containing  a  statement  from  a  Mr.  Wooley, 
writing  from  Sabattis,  Me.,  certifying  to  the  capture 
of  the  bird  at  the  place  named,  some  eight  years  ago. 

The  occurrence  of  this  waif  in  Maine,  and  of  the 
other  above  mentioned  in  New  York,  leads  us  to  re- 
flect how  little  is  accurately  known  of  the  remarkable 
family  Procellariidce.  The  number  of  species  of  these 
wandering  sea-birds  which  frequent  our  waters  is  dis- 
puted; and,  among  those  known  to  do  so,  the  life- 
history  of  only  a  single  one  (Cymochorea  leucorrhoa)  can 
be  considered  to  have  been  thoroughly  studied  upon  our 
own  coast.  Extended  and  reliable  observations  are 
required  to  perfect  our  knowledge  of  this  subject. 


COLYMBID^E  :    LOONS. 


FAMILY  COLYMBID^  :   LOONS. 


GREAT   NORTHERN   DIVER,    OR   LOON. 
COLYMBUS  TORQUATUS  Brunn. 

Chars.  Black  ;  below  from  the  breast  white,  with  dark  touches  on 
the  sides  and  vent ;  back  with  numerous  square  white  spots  ; 
head  and  neck  iridescent  with  violet  and  green,  having  a  patch 
of  sharp  white  streaks  on  each  side  of  the  neck  and  another  on 
the  throat ;  bill  black.  Young :  dark  gray  above,  the  feathers 
with  paler  edges;  below,  white  from  the  bill,  the  sides  dusky; 
bill  yellowish-green  and  dusky.  Length,  2.50-3.00  feet ;  extent 
about  4.00  ;  wing  about  14  inches  ;  tarsus,  3.00  or  more  ;  longest 
toe  and  claw,  4.00  or  more ;  bill,  3.00  or  less,  at  base  i.oo  deep 
and  0.50  wide;  the  culmen,  commissure,  and  gonys  all  gently 
curved. 


FIG.  82.  —  GREAT  NORTHERN  DIVER. 


The  Loon  is  properly  to  be  classed  as  resident  in 
New  England,  being  known  to  breed  occasionally  at 
different  points  within  our  limits,  and  regularly  in  north- 


COLYMBUS    ARCTICUS  :    BLACK-THROATED    DIVER.        389 

erly  portions.  It  is,  however,  more  numerous,  or  at  any 
rate  more  conspicuous,  in  winter  than  at  other  seasons, 
as  most  individuals  of  the  species  breed  farther  north. 
It  is  a  common  summer  bird  of  Labrador  and  New- 
foundland. The  nest  is  built  upon  the  ground,  usually 
in  rank  herbage  by  the  water's  edge ;  the  eggs  are  com- 
monly two  in  number,  measuring  about  3.50X2.25,  of  a 
dark  greenish  or  olivaceous  color,  profusely  spotted. 


BLACK-THROATED   DIVER. 
COLYMBUS  ARCTICUS  L. 

Chars.  Back  and  under  parts  much  as  in  the  last  species ;  upper 
part  of  head,  and  hind  neck,  bluish-ash  or  hoary  gray  ;  fore  neck 
purplish-black  with  a  patch  of  white  streaks,  the  dark  color  end- 
ing abruptly ;  bill  black.  The  young  resemble  those  of  the  last 
species,  but  will  be  known  by  their  inferior  size.  Length,  under 
2.50  feet ;  extent  about  3.00  ;  wing,  13.00  inches  or  less  ;  tarsus, 
3.00  ;  bill  about  2.50. 

Dr.  Brewer  doubts  the  occurrence  of  this  species  in 
New  England,  though  admitting  that  "  its  presence  is 
far  from  improbable.  The  nearest  approach  that  I  can 
ascertain  is  one  taken  near  Point  Lepreaux,  New  Bruns- 
wick" (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  xvii,  1875,  p.  453).  But, 
to  all  intents,  the  locality  named  is  New  England ;  and 
therefore,  having  no  doubt  of  the  impropriety  of  expung- 
ing the  bird  from  the  list,  we  continue  to  give  it  that  place 
which  has  been  accorded  by  nearly  all  the  New  England 
writers,  even  though  we  are  unable  to  point  to  any 
recent  cases  of  its  actual  capture  within  our  limits. 
Coues  calls  it  a  "rare  winter  visitant,  not  known  to 


39°  COLYMBID.E  :    LOONS. 

breed;"  Allen  marks  it  as  a  rare  autumn  and  winter 
visitant ;  and  Mr.  Harold  Herrick  gives  it  as  of  Grand 
Menan.  In  a  dilemma  like  this  (and  there  are  several 
such  among  our  water  birds)  it  is  useless  to  deny  a 
moral  certainty  merely  because  the  circumstantial  evi- 
dence is  not  absolutely  conclusive,  or  because  we  lack  a 
"modern  instance." 


RED-THROATED  DIVER. 

COLYMBUS     SEPTENTRIONALIS    L. 

Chars.  Blackish  ;  below  white,  dark  along  the  sides  and  on  the 
vent  and  crissum  ;  most  of  head  and  fore  neck  bluish-gray,  the 
throat  with  a  large  chestnut  patch  ;  hind  neck  sharply  streaked 
with  white  on  a  blackish  ground  ;  bill  black.  Young  have  not 
these  marks  on  the  head  and  neck,  but  a  profusion  of  small, 
sharp,  circular  or  oval  white  spots  on  the  back.  Size  of  the  last, 
or  rather  less. 

A  common  winter  visitant  along  the  whole  coast, 
arriving  from  the  north  in  September  or  October,  and 
remaining  until  May.  It  is  most  abundant  during  the 
migrations  in  fall  and  spring,  and  has  even  been  seen  in 
Southern  New  England  in  June;  but  it  is  not  ascer- 
tained to  breed  within  our  limits.  According  to  May- 
nard,  it  is  the  most  numerous  representative  of  the 
family  during  autumn  and  winter.  Mr.  Deane  speaks 
of  a  perfect  albino  in  his  possession,  which  was  shot  in 
Salem  harbor,  Mass.  Individuals  in  perfect  plumage, 
with  the  red  throat,  are  rare  in  comparison  with  the 
numbers  seen  in  the  spotted  plumage  of  the  young. 


P.   GRISEIGENA    HOLBOELLI  :    RED-NECKED    GREBE.       391 


FAMILY  PODICIPEDID^ :  GREBES. 
AMERICAN    RED-NECKED    GREBE. 

PODICIPES    GRISEIGENA    HOLBOELLI    (Rein/I.)   CoiieS. 

Chars.  Medium-sized,  with  moderately  long  neck ;  bill  not  longer 
than  the  head,  shorter  than  the  tarsus,  moderately  stout  and 
acute  ;  tarsus  about  four-fifths  the  middle  toe  and  claw  ;  crests 
and  ruff  moderately  developed.  Medium:  length  about  18.00; 
wing,  7.00-  8.00;  bill,  1.67  to  nearly  2.00;  tarsus,  2.50;  middle 
toe  and  claw,  2.67.  Adult:  front  and  sides  of  the  neck  rich 
brownish-red;  throat  and  sides  of  head  ashy,  whitening  where  it 
joins  the  dark  color  of  the  crown ;  the  feathers  slightly  ruffed  ; 
top  of  head  with  its  slight  occipital  crests,  upper  parts  generally 
black  or  blackish,  most  feathers  with  pale  edges  ;  primaries 
brown,  but  much  white  on  the  inner  quills ;  lower  parts  pale 
silvery-ash,  with  dark  sides  (not  pure  white,  but  watered  or 
obscurely  mottled,  sometimes  obviously  speckled,  with  dusky)  ; 
bill  black,  more  or  less  yellow  at  base.  The  young  will  be 
recognized  by  these  last  characters,  joined  with  the  peculiar 
dimensions  and  proportions. 

NOTE.  —  The  Crested  Grebe,  P.  cristatus,  was  almost  universally 
given  by  New  England  writers,  until  challenged  by  Dr.  Brewer, 
who  questioned  its  right  to  be  regarded  as  even  a  bird  of  North 
America.  Since  then,  the  species  appears  to  have  been  dropped  by 
common  consent.  In  view  of  the  improbability  that  everybody  has 
been  mistaken  in  this  case,  and  of  the  known  general  distribution  of 
the  species,  we  incline  to  the  opinion  that  the  species  will  have  to 
be  restored,  like  probably  every  one  of  those  expunged  by  the  same 
authority,  though  at  present  we  lack  the  data  to  convert  our  opinion 
into  certainty. 

The  Red-necked  Grebe  is  chiefly  a  winter  bird  in  New 
England,  though  it  has  occasionally  been  seen  in  summer, 


3Q2  PODICIPEDID,E  I    GREBES. 

even  in  Massachusetts,  according  to  Allen.  It  is  not 
known  to  breed  with  us,  but  the  same  authority  speaks 
of  a  specimen  in  full  breeding  plumage  taken  the  third 
week  in  May  in  Springfield,  Mass. ;  and  Brewer  marks 
the  bird  as  a  summer  resident  in  northern  New  England. 
Merriam  speaks  of  several  Connecticut  cases,  and  the 
bird  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  regular  visitant,  far  from  rare, 
though  less  numerous  than  our  two  smaller  representa- 
tives of  the  family. 

HORNED  GREBE. 
PODICIPES  CORNUTUS  (Gm.)  Lath. 

Chars.  Tarsus  about  equal  to  the  middle  toe  without  its  claw; 
bill  much  shorter  than  head,  little  more  than  half  the  tarsus, 
compressed,  higher  than  wide  at  the  nostrils,  rather  obtuse  ; 
crests  and  ruffs  highly  developed.  Small :  length  about  14.00  ; 
extent,  24,00;  wing,  6.00  or  less  ;  bill  about  0.75  ;  tarsus,  1.75. 
Adult :  above,  dark  brown,  the  feathers  paler-edged ;  below, 
silvery-white,  the  sides  mixed  dusky  and  reddish  ;  most  of  the 
secondaries  white  ;  fore  neck  and  upper  breast,  brownish-red ; 
head  glossy  black,  including  the  ruff;  a  broad  band  over  the  eye, 
to  and  including  the  occipital  crests,  brownish-yellow ;  bill  black, 
yellow-tipped.  The  young  differ  as  in  other  species,  but  are 
always  recognizable  by  the  above  measurements  and  proportions 
of  parts. 

Chiefly  a  migrant  and  winter  resident,  both  along  the 
coast  and  in  the  interior,  arriving  in  September  and 
October,  and  remaining  until  May  —  sometimes  even 
through  that  month.  It  is  given  by  Brewer  as  a  sum- 
mer resident  in  Northern  New  England,  and  we  have 
no  doubt  that  this  species  and  the  Red-necked  Grebe 
both  breed  in  Maine,  although  we  have  no  authentic 
cases  of  the  kind  to  record. 


PODILYMBUS    PODICIPES  :    PIED-BILLED    GREBE.       393 

PIED-BILLED  GREBE,  OR  DABCHICK. 
PODILYMBUS  PODICIPES  (L.)  Lawr. 

Chars.  Length,  12.00-14.00;  wing  about  5.00  ;  bill,  l.oo  or  less, 
very  stout;  tarsus,  1.50.  Adult:  bill  bluish,  dusky  on  the 
ridges,  encircled  with  a  black  ring ;  throat  with  a  long  black 
patch;  upper  parts  blackish-brown;  primaries  ashy -brown, 
secondaries  ashy  and  white;  lower  parts  silky-white,  more  or 
less  mottled  or  obscured  with  dusky  ;  the  lower  neck  in  front, 
fore  breast  and  sides,  washed  with  rusty.  Young :  lacking  the 
throat  patch  and  peculiar  marks  of  the  bill,  otherwise  not  par- 
ticularly different;  in  a  very  early  stage  the  head  curiously 
striped. 

The  Dabchick  must  be  classed  as  a  resident  in  New 
England.  In  its  range  at  large,  it  is  a  migratory 
species,  but  our  country  falls  within  the  limits  both  of 
its  summer  and  winter  residence.  While  it  is  therefore 
more  numerous  and  conspicuous  during  the  vernal  and 
autumnal  movements,  it  breeds  anywhere  with  us,  and 
may  occasionally  be  found  in  winter. 

The  nest  of  the  Dabchick,  like  that  of  other  Grebes, 
consists  of  a  matted  mass  of  broken-down  reeds  or  other 
aquatic  plants,  usually  sodden  and  water-soaked,  by  the 
edge  of  the  pond,  or  almost  floating  on  its  surface.  The 
eggs  are  five  or  six  in  number,  nearly  equal-ended, 
measuring  about  1.25x0.87,  with  a  smooth  shell  of  a 
whitish  color,  sometime0  as  if  stained  greenish,  but  not 
spotted 


394 


ALCID.E  :   AUKS. 


FAMILY  ALCID^E  :  AUKS. 


COMMON  PUFFIN:  SEA  PARROT. 
FRATERCULA  ARCTICA  (L.)  Steph. 

Chars.  Not  crested  ;  eyelids  appendaged  ;  under  mandible  sulcate, 
like  the  upper,  the  grooves  convex  forward ;  culmen  simple,  with 
one  curve ;  base  of  bill  bossed ;  corners  of  mouth  callous. 
Blackish,  including  the  throat,  the  sides  of  the  head  ashy-gray, 
with  dusky  maxillary  patches  (whole  face  dusky  in  the  young) ; 
below,  white  ;  bill  red,  blue  and  yellow  ;  feet  red.  A  thick  blunt 
excrescence  on  eyelids.  Black  of  throat  not  reaching  the  bill. 
Length,  13.50;  wing,  6.50;  tarsus,  i.oo  ;  bill,  2.00  ;  depth  at 
base,  1.33. 


FIG.  83.  — HEAD  OF  COMMON  PUFFIN.    Nat.  size. 

The  distribution  and  manner  of  occurrence  of  this 
species  are  nearly  coincident  with  those  of  the  Razor- 
billed  Auk.  It  is  found  in  winter  along  the  whole 
coast,  and  is  resident  on  north-eastern  portions,  though 


FRATERCULA    CIRRATA  :    TUFTED    PUFFIN.  395 

much  less  numerous  than  at  those  favored  spots,  farther 
north,  where  it  congregates  by  thousands  to  breed, 
depositing  its  single  egg  in  burrows  underground,  or 
among  rocks.  The  egg  is  white  or  whitish,  whole- 
colored  or  with  obsolete  spotting,  measuring  about 
2.50X1.75- 


TUFTED    PUFFIN. 

FRATERCULA  CIRRATA  Pall. 

Chars,  Adult :  with  a  long  flowing  yellow  crest  of  filamentous 
feathers  on  each  side  of  the  head.  Eyelids  not  appendaged. 
Under  mandible  smooth,  upper  sulcate,  the  grooves  concave 
forward ;  basal  part  of  culmen  bossed ;  bill  and  feet  red ;  claws 
black;  plumage  wholly  blackish,  with  white  face.  Length,  15.00- 
16.00 ;  wing,  7.50-8.00 ;  tail,  2.00 ;  tarsus,  1.33  ;  bill,  2.33  ;  nearly 
2.00  deep  at  base. 

As  is  well  known,  the  only  authority  for  the  occur- 
rence of  this  species,  which  belongs  to  the  North 
Pacific,  is  Audubon's  statement  that  one  was  taken  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec  River,  in  the  winter  of 
i83i-'32.  Although  the  case  is  entirely  exceptional,  I 
do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  take  it  for  granted  that  it  is 
erroneous,  and  therefore  do  not  follow  Dr.  Brewer  in 
expunging  the  species  from  the  list.  (See  B.  of  Am., 
8vo  ed.,  vii,  p.  234.) 

SEA  DOVE,  OR  DOVEKIE. 
ALLE  NIGRICANS  Link. 

Chars.  Glossy  blue-black,  below  from  the  breast  (in  winter,  and 
in  young,  from  the  bill)  white  ;  scapulars  white-striped ;  second- 


396  ALCID.E  I    AUKS. 

aries  white-tipped ;  white  speck  over  eye  ;  bill  black,  short, 
obtuse,  turgid.  Length,  8.50 ;  wing,  4.75  ;  tarsus,  0.80 ;  bill, 
0.50 ;  about  0.37  deep  or  wide  at  base. 

A  species  belonging  to  the  high  north,  only  known 
with  us  in  winter,  but  of  regular  and  not  uncommon 

occurrence  at  that  season. 
It  is  properly  confined  to 
the  coast,  but  several  in- 
stances are  recorded  of  its 
having  been  driven  inland 
by  storms,  and  captured  in 
the  most  unwonted  local- 

FIG.  84.-SEA  DOVE.    Nat.  size.          ^^    Various  cases  Q£  this 

kind  are*  recorded  by  Merriam  (Rev.  B.  Conn.,  1877,  p. 
138),  and  by  other  writers. 


BLACK   GUILLEMOT,   OR   SEA   PIGEON. 
URIA  GRYLLE  (X.)  Brtinn. 

Chars.  Tarsus  reticulate  in  front;  bill  with  straight  commissure, 
scarcely  or  not  longer  than  tarsus  ;  outer  claw  smooth  ;  tail  con- 
tained less  than  three  times  in  length  of  wing.  In  summer,  black, 
with  white  on  the  wings  ;  in  winter,  largely  white  ;  bill  black  ; 
feet  red.  Length,  12.00-15.00;  wing,  5.50-6.50;  tarsus,  1.25- 
1.33  ;  bill,  1.33-1.67.  A  large  continuous  white  area  on  both 
upper  and  under  surface  of  the  wing  (rarely  imperfect  or  want- 
ing) ;  head  and  neck  with  greenish  gloss  ;  tail  feathers  twelve. 

Like  most  other  species  of  the  Auk  family,  this  Guil- 
lemot occurs  along  the  coast  in  winter  —  probably 
along  the  whole  coast,  though  Merriam  gives  no  Con- 


LOMVIA   TROILE  :    COMMON   GUILLEMOT. 


397 


necticut  case.  It  also  breeds  sparingly  on  islands  about 
the  northern  limit  of  the  New  England  coast.  The 
eggs  are  laid  in  the 
crevices  of  rocks, 
and  are  usually  two, 
sometimes  three  in 
number,  measuring 
about  2.33  X  1.55, 
of  a  dull  green- 
ish color,  variously 


marked    with 
spots. 


dark 


FIG.  85.  —  BLACK  GUILLEMOT.    Nat.  size. 


COMMON   GUILLEMOT,   OR   MURRE. 
LOMVIA  TROILE  (L.)  Brdt. 

Chars.  Tarsi  scutellate  in  front,  much  shorter  than  middle  toe 
without  claw  ;  bill  with  decurved  commissure,  much  longer  than 
tarsus,  its  end,  and  the  outer  claw,  grooved;  nostrils  feathered  ; 
tail  graduated,  contained  more  than  three  times  in  the  length  of 
wing.  Size  and  coloration  almost  exactly  as  described  under 
Utamania  torda,  but  no  white  line  from  bill  to  eye.  Depth  of 
bill  at  nostrils  not  nearly  half  the  length  of  culmen  ;  tomia  of 
upper  mandible  at  base  feathered,  not  noticeably  dilated,  nor 
brightly  colored.  In  some  cases,  edges  of  eyelids,  and  line 
behind  eye,  white. 

Contrary  to  the  general  impression,  the  "  common  " 
Guillemot  appears  to  be  a  rare  bird  in  New  England, 
most  of  the  Murres  occurring  in  winter  along  our  coast 
being  of  the  following  species.  Its  breeding  in  some 
localities  on  the  Maine  coast  is  attested,  like  that  of  the 


398 


AUKS. 


Black  Guillemot,  Sea  Puffin,  and  Razor-bill.     It  is  sin- 
gular that  Dr.  Brewer  should  have  not  only  made  two 


FIG.  86.  —  COMMON  GUILLEMOT.    Nat.  size. 

species  of  this  single  one,  but  should  have  assigned 
them  different  breeding  ranges  (Pr.  Bost.  Soc.,  xvii, 
1875,  p.  450). 


THICK-BILLED,    OR  BRUNNICH'S   GUIL- 
LEMOT. 

LOMVIA  ARRA  (Pall.}  Coues. 

Chars.  Very  similar  to  the  last;  depth  of  bill  at  nostrils  about  one- 
half  the  length  of  culmen ;  tomia  of  upper  mandible  at  base 
dilated,  denuded,  usually  yellowish. 


FIG.  87.  —  THICK-BILLED  GUILLEMOT.    Nat.  size. 

This  is  the  common  winter  Guillemot  of  the  New 
England  coast,  and  probably  most  of  the  statements 
supposed  to  have  been  based  upon  L.  troile  really  apply 


LOMVIA    ARRA  :    THICK-BILLED    GUILLEMOT.  399 

to  the  present  species.     We  have  no  knowledge  of  its 
nesting  within  our  limits. 


FIG.  88.  —GUILLEMOTS. 


In  support  of  the  foregoing  statements  we  may  ad- 
duce observations  lately  made  by  Mr.  Harry  Merrill,  of 
Bangor,  and  by  Mr.  William  Brewster.  Says  the  former, 
speaking  of  the  two  species  of  Murres  :  "  Some  idea  of 


400  ALCIM:  :  AUKS. 

their  comparative  numbers  may  perhaps  be  obtained  from 
the  fact  that  during  the  past  two  years  I  have  procured 
some  thirty  specimens  from  different  points  on  our  coast 
(from  Grand  Menan  to  South  Bristol),  and  out  of  this 
number  only  one  was  a  representative  of  the  common 
Guillemot  (L.  troile).  The  experience  of  Mr.  N.  A. 
Eddy  of  this  city  is  exactly  similar,  and  out  of  about  an 
equal  number  of  specimens  he  has  obtained  but  a  single 
example  of  troile.  Other  collectors  in  this  vicinity  who 
have  received  numbers  of  Guillemots  have  not  obtained 
a  specimen  of  L.  troile."  (Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p. 
191.)  Mr  Brewster  continues  the  subject :  "At  differ- 
ent times  during  the  past  ten  years  I  have  examined 
specimens  from  various  points  along  the  shores  of  Maine, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Massachusetts,  and  all  of  the 
numerous  birds  that  have  come  under  my  notice  have 
proved  to  be  Briinnich's  Guillemots.  Indeed  the  exam- 
ple of  L.  troile  mentioned  by  Mr.  Merrill  is  the  only 
New  England  one  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge." 
(Bull.  Nutt.  Club,  vii,  1882,  p.  251.) 


RAZOR-BILLED   AUK. 

UTAMANIA  TORDA  (L.)  Leach. 

Chars.  Brownish-black,  browner  on  the  head  and  throat  ;  under 
parts  from  the  throat  (in  summer  ;  from  the  bill  in  winter,  and  in 
young),  tips  of  secondaries,  and  sharp  line  from  bill  to  eye, 
white  ;  bill  black,  with  a  white,  curved  line  ;  mouth  yellow. 
Length,  16.00-19.00;  wing,  7.00-8.00  ;  tail,  3.00-3.50,  graduated 
i. oo  or  more;  tarsus  1.00-1.25;  bill,  1.33,  along  gape  2.25, 
nearly  i.oo  deep. 

Chiefly  a  winter  visitant  along  the  coast,  to  which  all 
the  species  of  this  marine  family  are  confined.     Long 


UTAMANIA    TORDA  :    RAZOR-BILLED    AUK.  40! 

Island  Sound  appears  to  be  about  the  normal  southward 
limit  of  distribution  of  the  species,  and  it  is  not  common 
there,  though  doubtless  occurring  each  winter.  On  the 
coast  of  Maine  the  bird  occurs  also  in  summer,  being 
therefore  resident  in  some  localities,  as  the  islands  in 
the  Bay  of  Fundy,  where  it  breeds,  though  in  nothing  like 
the  numbers  found  farther  north.  The  single  egg  is 
deposited  on  the  bare  rock  of  sea-girt  cliffs  ;  it  measures 
about  3.00X2.00,  and  is  white  or  whitish,  streaked, 
spotted,  and  blotched  with  dark-brown.  The  egg  re- 
sembles those  Murre's  eggs,  the  ground  color  of  which 
is  whitish,  but  is  less  pointedly  pyriform,  and  the  mark- 
ings are  rather  in  spots  than  in  zigzags. 

Respecting  the  Great  Auk,  Alca  impennis,  it  is  only 
necessary  to  refer  to  the  fact  that  it  has  for  many  years 
-been  wholly  extinct,  though  formerly  abundant  at  least 
as  far  south  as  Massachusetts,  where  its  bones  in  kitchen- 
middings  still  attest  its  presence  in  years  gone  by.  It 
is  perhaps  the  only  bird  of  New  England  which  no  one 
could  criticize  Dr.  Brewer  for  expunging  from  the  list, 
had  he  been  inclined  to  follow  Nature  in  so  doing. 


INDEX  OF  ENGLISH   NAMES. 


Auk,  Great,  401. 

Razor-billed,  400. 
Avocet,  American,  180. 
Baldpate,  309. 
Barrow's  Golden-eye,  317, 
Bee-martin,  15. 
Bittern,  American,  269. 

Least,  273. 
Black  Skimmer,  376. 
Bob-white,  157. 
Booby,  335. 
Broad-bill,  311. 
Brown-back,  198. 
Bull-bat,  52. 
Burgomaster,  346. 
Buzzard,  Broad-winged,  125. 

Carrion  Crow,  137. 

Red-shouldered,  123. 

Red-tailed,  121. 

Rough-legged,  126. 

Swainson's,  124. 

Turkey,  135. 
Calico-bird,  178. 
Carrion  Crow,  137. 
Chicken,  Mother  Carey's,  381. 
Coot,  American,  294. 

Sea,  328. 
Cormorant,  Common,  339. 

Double-crested,  340. 
Crake,  Little  Black,  289. 

Yellow,  287. 
Crane,  Brown,  277. 

Great  White,  276. 
.  Sand-hill,  277. 

Whooping,  276. 
Crow,  Carrion,  137. 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed,  65. 

Yellow-billed,  67. 
Curlew,  American  Whimbrel,  250. 

Dough-bird,  251. 

Eskimo,  251. 

Hudsonian,  250. 

Long-billed,  248. 

Sickle-bill,  248. 


Dabchick,  393. 

Diver,  Black-throated,  389. 

Great  Northern,  388. 

Red-throated,  390. 
Dough-bird,  2^1. 
Dowitcher,  198. 
Dovekie,  395. 
Dove.  Mourning,  140. 

Sea,  395. 

Wild,  140. 

Duck,  American  Black  Scoter,  326. 
"  Widgeon,  309. 

Baldpate,  309. 

Barrow's  Golden-eye,  317. 

Broad-bill,  311. 

Black,  306. 

Blue-winged  Teal,  311, 

Buffle-head,  318. 

Canvas-back,  316. 

Dusky,  306. 

Eider,  324. 

European  Teal,  310. 

European  Widgeon,  309. 

Fish,  331. 

Gadwall,  308. 

Golden-eyed,  317. 

Goosander,  331. 

Greater  Scaup,  313. 

Green-winged  Teal,  310. 

Harlequin,  323. 

Hooded  Merganser,  333. 

King  Eider,  326. 

Labrador,  320. 

Lesser  Scaup,  314. 

Long-tailed,  3 1 9. 

Mallard,  304. 

Merganser,  331. 

Pied,  320. 

Pintail,  307. 

Pochard,  315. 

Red-breasted  Merganser,  332. 

Red-head,  315. 

Ring-neck  Scaup,  314. 

Rocky  Mountain  Garrot,3i;. 

403 


404 


INDEX    OF    ENGLISH    NAMES. 


Duck,  Ruddy,  330. 

Saint  Domingo,  330. 

Sea-coot,  328. 

Shoveller,  311. 

Sprigtail,  307. 

Surf,  328. 

Summer,  312. 

Velvet,  327. 

Whistler,  317. 

White-winged  Scoter,  327. 

Wood  Duck,  312. 
Eagle,  Bald,  133. 

Golden,  130. 
Egret,  Great  White,  260. 

Small  White,  262. 
Falcon,  Peregrine,  in. 

Pigeon,  117. 

Rusty-crowned,  118. 
Flicker,  82. 
Flycatcher,  Acadian,  31. 

Arkansas,  13. 

Bee-martin,  15. 

Gray  King-bird,  14. 

Great-crested,  18. 

Kingbird,  15. 

Least,  41. 

Olive-sided,  26. 

Pewee,  23. 

Pewit,  23. 

Phoebe-bird,  23. 

Swallow-tailed,  12. 

Traill's,  36. 

Wood  Pewee,  28. 

Yellow-bellied,  44. 
Fresh-water  Marsh  Hen,  282. 
Frigate-bird,  341. 
Gadwall,  308. 
Gallinule,  Florida,  291. 

Purple,  292. 
Gannet,  Booby,  335. 

Brown,  335. 

Common,  334. 

Solan  Goose,  334. 
Garrot,  Rocky  Mountain,  317. 
Gerfalcon,  American  Continental,  no. 

Iceland,  in. 

Labrador,  no. 
Godwit,  Great  Marbled,  230. 

Hudsonian,  232. 
Goosander,  331. 
Goose,  American  White-fronted,  298. 

Barnacle,  300. 

Brant,  301. 

Black  Brant,  302. 

Blue,  299. 

Canada,  303. 

Common  Wild.  303. 

Lesser  Canada,  304. 

Snow,  299. 


Goose,  Solan,  334. 
Goshawk,  American,  108. 
Greater  Long-beak,  202. 
«       Yellow-legs,  236. 
Lesser          "  237. 

Grebe,  American  Red-necked,  391. 

Crested,  391. 

Dabchick,  393. 

Horned,  392. 

Pied-billed,  393. 
Grouse,  Canada,  148. 

Prairie  Hen,  146. 

Ruffed,  150. 

Spruce  Partridge,  148. 
Guillemot,  Black,  396. 

Briinnich's,  398. 

Common,  397. 

Murre,  397. 

Sea  Pigeon,  396. 

Thick-billed,  398. 
Gull,  Black-headed,  351. 

Bonaparte's,  352. 

Burgomaster,  346. 

Common,  348. 

Fork-tailed,  353. 

Glaucous,  346. 

Great  black-backed,  347. 

Herring,  348. 

Kittiwake,  350. 

Laughing,  351. 

Ring-billed,  349. 

White-winged,  346. 
Harrier,  101. 
Hawk,  American  Goshawk,  108. 

Broad-winged  Buzzard,  125. 

Chicken,  105. 

Cooper's,  105. 

Duck,  in. 

Fish,  127. 

Harrier,  101. 

Hen,  121. 

Marsh,  101. 

Osprey,  127. 

Pigeon,  117. 

Red-shouldered  Buzzard,  123. 

Red-tailed  "         121. 

Rough-legged  "         126. 

Sharp-shinned,  104. 

Sparrow,  118. 

Swainson's  Buzzard,  124. 

Swallow-tailed,  103. 
Hen,  Fresh-water  Marsh,  282. 

Prairie,  146. 

Salt-water  Marsh,  279. 
Heron,  Great  Blue,  259. 
«     White,  260. 

Green,  264. 

Little  Blue,  263. 

Night,  265. 


INDEX    OF    ENGLISH    NAMES. 


405 


Heron,  Qua-bird,  265. 

Small  White,  262. 
Squawk,  265. 

Yellow-crowned  Night,  267. 
Humming  Bird,  Ruby-throated,  59 
Ibis,  Glossy,  254. 

White,  257. 
Jaeger,  Arctic,  345. 

Long-tailed,  345. 

Parasitic,  344. 

Pomarine,  344. 

Richardson's,  344. 

Skua,  343. 
Jerfalcon,  American  Continental,  no. 

Iceland,  in. 

Labrador,  no. 
King-bird,  15. 

Gray,  14. 

Kingfisher,  Belted,  62. 
Kite,  Swallow-tailed,  103. 
Knot,  228. 
Loon,  Black-throated,  389. 

Great  Northern,  388. 

Red-throated,  390. 
Mallard,  304. 
Man-of-war  Bird,  341. 
Merganser,  331. 

Fish  Duck,  331. 

Goosander,  331. 

Hooded,  333. 

Red-breasted,  332. 
Mother  Carey's  Chicken,  381. 
Murre,  397. 
Night-hawk,  52. 
Osprey,  127. 
Owl,  Acadian,  98. 

Barn,  86. 

Barred,  94. 

Burrowing,  99. 

Day,  96. 

Great  Gray,  92. 
"      Horned,  87. 

Hawk,  96. 

Long-eared,  90. 

Mottled,  89. 

Red,  89. 

Richardson's,  97. 

Saw-whet,  98. 

Screech,  89. 

Short-eared,  91. 

Snowy,  94. 
Oyster-catcher,  American,  177. 

Turnstone,  178. 
Parrot,  Sea,  394. 
Partridge,  150. 

American,  157. 

Spruce,  148. 
Pelican,  American  White,  337. 

Brown,  338. 


Petrel,  Fulmar,  380. 

Leach's,  382. 

Mother  Carey's  Chicken,  381. 

Pintado,  386. 

Stormy,  381. 

Wilson's,  383. 
Pewee,  23. 

Wood,  28. 
Pewit,  23. 
Phalarope,  Northern,  187. 

Red,  189. 

Wilson's,  184. 
Phoebe-bird,  23. 
Pigeon,  Passenger,  1-19. 

Wild,  139. 
Plover,  Black-bellied,  163. 

Golden,  166. 

Killdeer,  168. 

Pale  Ring-neck,  175. 

Piping,  175. 

Ring-neck,  173. 

Ruddy,  229. 

Semipalmated  Ring,  173. 

Upland,  245. 

Wilson's,  170. 
Pochard,  315. 
Prairie  Hen,  146. 
Ptarmigan,  Willow,  145. 
Puffin,  Common,  394. 

Sea  Parrot,  394. 

Tufted,  395. 
Qua-bird,  265. 
Quail,  157. 

American  Partridge,  157. 

Bob-white,  157. 

Messina,  162. 

Migratory,  162. 
Rail,  Carolina,  286. 

Clapper,  279. 

Fresh- water  Marsh  Hen,  282. 

King,  282. 

Little  Black,  289. 

Salt-water  Marsh  Hen,  279. 

Sora,  286. 

Virginia,  283. 

Yellow,  287. 
Reeve,  243. 
Ring-neck,  173. 
Rocky  Mountain  Garrot,  317. 
Ruddy  Plover,  229. 
Ruff,  243. 

Salt-water  Marsh  Hen,  279. 
Sanderling,  229. 
Sandpiper,  American  Green,  238. 

Ash-colored,  228. 

Baird's,  217. 

Bartramian,  245. 

Bonaparte's,  221. 

Buff-breasted,  246. 


406 


INDEX    OF    ENGLISH    NAMES. 


Sandpiper,  Curtov,  224. 

Grass  Snipe,  220. 

Jack  Snipe,  220. 

Knot,  228. 

Least,  214. 

Pectoral,  220. 

Purple,  222. 

Red-backed,  223. 

Red-breasted,  228. 

Reeve,  243. 

Robin  Snipe,  228. 

Ruddy  Plover,  229. 

Ruff,  243. 

Sanderlmg,  229. 

Semipalmated,  212. 

Solitary,  238. 

Spotted,  241. 

Stilt,  206. 

Upland  Plover,  245. 

White-rumped,  221. 
Scoter,  American  Black,  326. 

White-winged,  327. 
Sea-coot,  328. 
"  Dove,  395. 
"  Parrot,  394. 
"  Pigeon,  396. 
"  Swallow,  358. 
Shearwater,  Greater,  383. 

Mank's,  384. 

Northern,  384. 

Sooty,  385. 

Wandering,  383. 
Shoveller,  311. 
Sickle-bill,  248. 
Skimmer,  Black,  376. 
Snipe,  American,  194. 

Brown-back,  198. 

Dowitcher,  198. 

Grass,  220. 

Gray,  198. 

Greater  long-beak,  202. 

Jack,  220. 

Red-breasted,  198. 

Robin,  228. 

Stone,  236. 

Wilson's,  194. 
Solan  Goose,  334. 
Sora,  286. 
Squawk,  265. 
Stilt,  Black-necked,  182. 
Stone  Snipe,  236. 
Swallow,  Sea,  358. 
Swan,  American  Wild,  296. 

Trumpeter,  296. 
Swift,  Chimney,  56. 


Tattler,  Greater,  236. 

"         Yellow-legs,  236. 

Lesser,  237. 

"         Yellow-legs,  237. 

Semipalmated,  233. 

Solitary,  238. 

Spotted  Sandpiper,  241. 

Stone  Snipe,  236. 

Willet,  233. 
Teal,  Blue-winged,  311. 

European,  310. 

Green-winged,  310. 
Tern,  Arctic,  370. 

Black,  375. 
"     Skimmer,  376. 

Caspian,  355. 

Cayenne,  357. 

Common,  358. 

Forster's,  369. 

Gull-billed,  355. 

Least,  371. 

Marsh,  355. 

Roseate,  371. 

Royal,  357. 

Sandwich,  357. 
.    Sea  Swallow,  358. 

Short-tailed,  375. 

Sooty,  372. 

Wilson's,  358. 
Tropic-bird,  342. 
Turkey,  Wild,  143. 
Turnstone,  178. 
Upland  Plover,  245. 
Whimbrel,  American,  250. 
Whippoorwill,  50. 
Whistler,  317. 
Widgeon,  American,  309. 

European,  309. 
'Willet,  233. 
Woodcock,  191. 

European,  194. 
Woodpecker,   Black-backed,  three-toed, 

74- 

Downy,  72. 

Flicker,  82. 

Golden-winged,  82. 

Hairy,  71. 

Pileated,  69. 

Red-bellied,  79. 

Red-headed,  80. 

White-backed,  three-toed,  76. 

Yellow-bellied,  76. 
Wood  Pewee,  28. 
Yellow-legs,  Greater,  236. 
237- 


INDEX   OF   SCIENTIFIC   NAMES, 


Accipiter  cooperi,  105. 

fuscus,  104. 
Actodromas  bairdi,  217. 

bonapartii,  221. 

maculata,  220. 

minutilla,  214. 
/Egialites  melodus,  175. 

semipalmatus,  173. 

vociferus,  168. 

wilsonius,  170. 
Aix  sponsa,  312. 
Alca  impennis,  401. 
Alle  nigricans,  395. 
Aiuco  flammeus  pratincola,  86. 
Anas  boscas,  304. 

obscura,  306. 

Ancylochilus  subarquattts,  224. 
Anser  albifrons  gambeli,  298. 
Antrostomus  vociferus,  50. 
Aquila  chrysaetus,  130. 
Archibuteo  Jagopus  sancti-johannis,  1 26. 
Ardea  herodias,  259. 
Ardetta  exilis,  273. 
Arquatella  maritima,  222. 
Asio  accipitrinus,  91. 

wilsonianus,  90. 
Astur  atricapillus,  108. 
Bartramia  longicauda,  245. 
Bernicla  brenta,  301. 

brenta  nigricans,  302. 

canadensis,  303. 

canadensis  hufchinsi,  304. 

leucofsis,  300. 
Bonasa  umbella,  1 50. 
Botaurus  mugitans,  269. 
Bubo  virginianus,  87. 
Buteo  borealis,  121. 

lineatus,  123. 

pennsylvanicus,  125. 

swainsoni,  124. 
Butorides  virescens,  264. 
Calidris  arenaria,  229. 
Camptolaemus  labradorius,  320. 
Canace  canadensis,  148. 


Catharista  atrata,  137. 
Cathartes  aura,  135. 
Centurus  carolinus,  79. 
Ceryle  alcyon,  62. 
Chaetura  pelasgica,  56. 
Charadrius  dominicus,  166. 
Chaulelasmus  streperus,  308. 
Chen  coerulescens,  299. 

hyperboreus,  299. 
Chordediles  popetue,  52. 
Chroicocephalus  atricilla,  351. 

Philadelphia,  352. 
Circus  cyaneus  hudsonius,  101. 
Clangula  albeola,  318. 

glaucium,  317. 

islandica,  317. 
Coccygus  americanus,  67. 

erythrophthalmus,  65. 
Colaptes  auratus,  82. 
Colymbus  arcticus,  389. 

septentrionalis,  390. 

torquatus,  388. 
Contopus  borealis,  26. 

virens,  28. 

Coturnix  dactylisonans,  162. 
Cupidonia  cupido,  146. 
Cygnus  columbianus,  296. 

buccinator,  296. 
Cymochorea  leucorrhoa,  382. 
Dafila  acuta,  307. 
Daptium  capense,  386 . 
Ectopistes  migratorius,  139. 
Elano'ides  forficatus,  103. 
Empidonax  acadicus,  31. 

flaviventris,  44. 

minimus,  41. 

trailli,  36. 

Ereunetes  pusillus,  212. 
Erismatura  rubida,  330. 
Eudocimus  albus,  257. 
Falco  gyrfalco,  109. 

"  islandicus,  in. 
"  obsoletus,  no. 
"  sacer,  no. 

407 


408 


INDEX    OF    SCIENTIFIC    NAMES. 


Falco  columbarius,  117. 

peregrinus,  in. 

sparverius,  118. 
Florida  coerulea,  263. 
Fratercula  arctica,  394. 

cirrata,  395. 
Fulica  americana,  294. 
Fuligula  affinis,  314. 

collaris,  314. 

ferina  americana,  315. 

marila,  313. 

vallisneria.  316. 
Fulmarus  glacialis,  380. 
Gallinago  wilsoni,  194. 
Gallinula  galeata,  291. 
Garzetta  candidissima,  262. 
Grus  americana,  276. 

pratensis,  277. 
Haematopus  palliatus,  177. 
Haliaetus  leucocephalus,  133. 
Harelda  glacialis,  319. 
Herodias  egretta,  260. 
Himantopus  mexicanus,  182. 
Histrionicus  minutus,  323. 
Hydrochelidon  lariformis,  375. 
Hylotomus  pileatus,  69. 
lonornis  martinica,  292. 
Lagopus  albus,  145. 
Larus  argentatus  smithsonianus,  348. 

delawarensis,  349. 

glaucus,  346. 

leucopteius,  346. 

marinus,  347. 
Limosa  foeda,  230. 

haemastica/232. 
Lobipes  hyperboreus,  187. 
Lomvia  arra,  398. 

troile,  397. 

Machetes pugnax,  243. 
Macrorhamphus  griseus,  198. 

"       scolopaceus,  202. 
Mareca  americana,  309. 

penelope,  309. 

Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  80. 
Meleagris  gallipavo  americana,  143. 
Mergus  cuculatus,  333. 

merganser,  331. 

serrator,  332. 

Micropalama  himantopus,  206. 
Milvulus  forficatus,  12. 
Myiarchus  crinitus,  18. 
Nomonyx  dominica,  330. 
Numenius  borealis,  251. 

hudsonicus,  250. 

longirostris,  248. 
Nyctala  acadica,  98. 

tengmalmi  richardsoni,  97. 
Nyctea  scandiaca,  94. 
Nycterodius  violaceus,  267. 


Nyctiardea  grisea  naevia,  265. 
Oceanites  oceanicus,  383. 
CEdemia  americana,  326. 

fusca,  327. 

perspicillata,  328. 
Ortyx  virginiana,  157. 
Pandion  haliaetus,  127. 
Pelecanus  fuscits,  338. 

trachyrhynchus,  337. 
Pelidna  alpina  americana,  223. 
Phalacrocorax  carbo,  339. 

dilophus,  340. 
Phalaropus  fulicarius,  189. 
Philohela  minor,  191. 
Picoi'des  americanus,  76. 

arcticus,  74. 
Picus  pubescens,  72. 

villosus,  71. 

Plegadis  falcinellus,  254. 
Podicipes  cornutus,  392. 

cistatus,  391. 

griseigena  holbcelli,  391. 
Podilymbus  podicipes,  393. 
Porzana  Carolina,  286. 

jamaicensis,  289. 

noveboracensis,  287. 
Procellaria  pelagica,  381. 
Puffinus  anglorum,  384. 

borealis,  384. 

fuliginosus,  385. 

major,  383. 
Querquedula  carolinensis,  310. 

crecca,  310. 

discors,  311. 
Rallus  elegans,  282. 

longirostris  crepitans,  279. 
Rallus  virginianus.  283. 
Recurvirostra  americana,  180. 
Rhyacophilus  solitarius,  238. 
Rhynchops  nigra,  376. 
Rissa  tridactyla,  350. 
Sayiornis  fusca,  23. 
Scolopax  riisticula,  194. 
Scops  asio,  89. 
Somateria  mollissima  dresseri,  324. 

spectabilis,  326. 
Spatula  clypeata,  311. 
Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogaea,  99. 
Sphyropicus  varius,  76. 
Squatarola  helvetica,  163. 
Steganopus  wilsoni,  184. 
Stercorarius  buffoni,  345. 

parasiticus,  344. 

pomatorhinus,  344. 

skua,  343. 
Sterna  anglica,  355. 

cantiaca,  357. 

caspia,355. 

dougalh,  371. 


INDEX    OF    SCIENTIFIC    NAMES. 


409 


Sterna  forsteri,  369. 

fuliginosa,  372. 

hirundo,  358. 

macrura,  370. 

maxima,  357. 

superrilliaris  antillarum,  371. 
Strepsilas  interpres,  1 78. 
Strix  cinerea,  92. 

nebulosa,  94. 
Sula  bassana,  334. 

leucogastra,  335. 
Surnia  funerea,  96. 
Symphemia  semipalmata,  233. 
Tachypetes  aquilus,  341. 


Totanus  flavipes,  237. 

melanoleucus,  236. 
Tringa  canutus,  228. 
Tringoides  macularius,  241. 
Trochilus  colubris,  59. 
Tryngites  rufescens,  246. 
Tyrannus  carolinensis,  15. 

dominicensis,  14. 

verticalis,  13. 
Una  grylle,  396. 
Utamania  torda,  400. 
Xema  sabinii,  3^3. 
Zenaidura  carohnensis,  140. 


Boston  Stereotype  Foundry,  No.  4  Pearl  Street 


NEW  ENGLAND  BIRD  LIFE 


A  MANUAL    OF  NEW  ENGLAND 
ORNITHOLOGY. 

Revised  and  edited  from  the  manuscript  of  WlNFRID  A.  STEARNS, 

Member  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  etc. 

By  Dr.  ELLIOTT  COUES,  U.S.A., 

Member  of  the  Academy,  etc. 

Part  I.     Osrines  (Singing  Birds}.     Illustrated,  $2.50. 

The  most  complete  Cyclopedia  of  Singing-Birds  of  New  Eng- 
land. The  Editor's  name  is  a  guarantee  that  the  work  is 
thoroughly  and  completely  prepared. 

"The  study  of  the  ornithology  of  New  England  has  been  carried  forward 
with  rapid  strides  during  the  last  few  years,  and  the  time  has  arrived  when  a 
standard  volume,  covering  the  whole  ground,  and  presenting  in  a  concise  and 
convenient  form  an  epitome  of  bird  life  of  New  England,  should  be  written. 
Such  a  work  Mr.  Winfrid  A.  Stearns  undertook  several  years  ago  at  the  suggestion 
of  Dr.  Coues.  The  plan  of  this  book  is  to  give  descriptions  of  the  birds  them- 
selves, enabling  the  student  to  identify  any  specimen  he  may  have  on  hand ;  local 
distribution,  migration,  and  relative  abundance  of  every  specie. 

"  The  manuscript  has  been  revised  and  edited  by  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  and  the 
present  volume,  embracing  the  large  and  important  order  Oscines,  has  received  in 
its  arrangement  and  in  its  copious  illustration  the  personal  supervision  of  that 
gentleman.  The  work  is  an  invaluable  one  for  the  student,  containing,  as  it  does, 
the  results  of  the  latest  investigations  and  being  especially  adapted  to  practical  use." 
— Boston  Courier. 

"  It  is  a  valuable  addition  to  the  literature  of  Ornithology,  and  its  value  and 
interest  are  increased  by  the  very  meritorious  illustrations.  It  is  doubtless  the 
most  complete  and  satisfactory  exposition  of  the  bird  life  of  New  England  that  has 
yet  appeared."  —  Salem  Gazette. 

"This  book  is  a  benefaction  to  the  rising  generation  which  they  cannot  too 
highly  prize.  Let  it  find  a  place  on  every  parlor  table  and  in  every  public  library." 
— Portland  Argus. 

"The  volume  is  in  its  way  a  model  of  thoroughness."  —  Milwaukee  Sentinel. 

"It  is  exhaustive  and  reliable,  giving  almost  everything  in  relation  to  the 
feathered  songsters,  and  containing  everything  that  the  casual  reader  will  care  to 
know,  while  the  naturalist  cannot  fail  to  be  delighted  with  it."  —  Philadelphia 
Chron-Herald. 

"  For  the  romance  and  poetry  of  the  subject  one  will  of  course  have  to  look 
elsewhere.  Our  feathered  songsters  are  here  seen,  as  it  were,  lifeless  and  cold  upon 
the  dissecting  table ;  instead  of  forms  instinct  with  life,  brilliant  with  fluttering 
plumage,  and  vocal  with  melodious  songs,  we  are  shown  through  shallow  drawers 
full  of  the  stuffed  skins  of  birds  only,  which  we  may  handle  with  the  cool  criticism 
of  the  true  scientist."  —  The  Literary  World. 


"To  say  that  the  book  is  exceedingly  well  written  would  be  doing  it  scant 
justice.  Dr.  Coues'  brilliant  talents  in  this  respect  are  already  well  known,  but  we 
nave,  perhaps,  never  had  so  striking  a  proof  of  them  as  is  afforded  by  the  present 
volume.  The  work  has  been  done  so  thoroughly  that  in  point  of  completeness  it  is 
almost  perfect ;  so  consistently,  that  but  few  points  are  open  to  criticism ;  so  con- 
cisely, that  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight  species  are  treated  in  two  hundred  and 
seventy  octavo  pages,  and  the  arrangement  of  the  whole  is  masterly.  Gracefully 
turned  descriptive  passages  and  sparkling  bits  of  commentary  everywhere  enliven 
the  subject,  as  the  brighter  colors  of  an  old  piece  of  tapestry  set  off  its  more 
sombre  background."  —  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club." 

"Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  Editor's  felicitous  style,  as  displayed, 
especially  in  his  'Birds  of  the  Northwest'  and  'Birds  of  the  Colorado  Valley,' 
will  not  fail  to  recognize  his  touches  on  nearly  every  page,  or  his  influence  on  the 
general  execution  of  the  work." — N.  Y.  Nation. 

"  Mr  Stearns  began  the  book  several  years  ago.  He  performed  his  task  with 
great  care  and  labor.  After  finishing  his  part  of  the  work  he  handed  the  MSS. 
over  to  Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  the  distinguished  ornithologist,  to  be  edited.  This 
gentleman  has  done  more  than  any  other  man  in  the  country  to  popularize  the 
study  of  American  birds.  He  revised  the  book,  rewriting  considerable  of  it. 
Those  accustomed  to  the  lively,  graceful  style  of  his  other  books  will  frequently 
recognize  his  touch  in  these  pages.  So  now  we  may  be  considered  to  have  a  perfect 
book  about  the  birds  of  New  England,  at  least  until  some  disagreeable  scientific 
man  finds  out  something  more." —  Cincinnati  Commercial. 

"  It  is  the  most  complete  and  thorough  study  in  its  particular  branch  that  has 
yet  appeared.  In  the  present  work,  thoroughness  seems  to  be  the  prime  idea, 
and  everything  that  exists  in  New  England  bird  life  is  carefully  classified  and 
described.  The  publishers,  with  characteristic  zeal,  have  ably  seconded  the  efforts 
of  author  and  editor,  and  the  work  is  presented  in  a  neat  and  attractive  style." — 
Boston  Times. 

"  Will  undoubtedly  take  a  conspicuous  place  among  the  works  descriptive  of  the 
feathered  inhabitants  of  our  section."  —  Boston  Commonwealth. 

"  Will  no  doubt  be  received  by  the  public  with  special  favor,  and  be  regarded  by 
educators  as  a  standard  authority."  —  Chicago  Journal. 

"  It  is  the  object  of  the  present  volume  to  go  carefully  over  the  whole  ground, 
and  present,  in  concise  and  convenient  form,  an  epitome  of  the  bird  life  of  New 
England."  —  Albany  Journal. 

"  Its  method  and  scope  are  all  that  could  be  desired  in  a  general  scientific 
treatise,  and  it  fills  a  place  hitherto  unoccupied."  —  Boston  Traveller. 

"  The  work  seems  to  have  been  done  with  thoroughness  and  knowledge,  and 
commends  itself  strongly  to  ornithologists  on  that  account.  It  is  fully  illustrated." 
—  Boston  Transcript. 

"  It  is  handsomely  printed,  well  illustrated,  and  will  be  found  a  complete  and 
thoroughly  serviceable  manual  of  reference  by  all  students."  —  Cincinnati  Gazette. 

"  It  is  prepared  by  acknowledged  authority,  and  is  practical  and  popular  rather 
than  exhaustive.  It  is  just  the  book  to  take  down  from  one's  library-shelf  in 
answer  to  the  question  <  What  bird  is  that  ? '  It  is  just  the  book  to  give  a  twelve- 
year  old  boy  when  he  begins  to  be  curious  about  birds.  It  is  just  the  book  to  go 
into  a  school  reference  library."  —  N.  Y.  Christian  Union. 

"  The  work  is  thorough  and  up  to  date,  and  such  a  book  ought  to  be  put  in  the 
hands  of  ten  thousand  boys  th?t  have  a  gun.  It  will  do  for  the  Northern  Middle 
States."  — M  Y.  Independent. 


Sold  by  all    Booksellers    and    Newsdealers,   and   sent   by  mail, 
postpaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 

LEE  AND  SHEPARD,   PUBLISHERS,   BOSTON. 


3760 


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STAMPED   BELOW 


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LIBRARY,   UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-Series  458 


U66370 

QL683 

Stearns,  W.A.  N67 

New  England  bird       S78 
life.  pt.2 


LIBRA  RY 

UNIVERSITY    OF    CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS