The Auk/13/1/General Notes
GENERAL NOTES.
Do Young Loons eat Fresh-water Clams?—On July 5, 1S95, while paddling with my brother along the northern end of Lake Utopia, in the Province of New Brunswick, we saw near our canoe a young water bird which by its size and actions- and especially by the cries of its parents near by, was proven to be a young Loon, the Great Northern Diver (Urinator imber). Wishing to examine it more closely we chased, and in spite of its game efforts to escape, caught it. When near by we noticed something hanging to its bill which plainly much retarded its movements and which proved to be a fresh-water clam or mussel of two inches in length. Closer observation after the bird was carried ashore showed that nearly all of its lower bill was gone and that its tongue was caught between the tightly-closed valves of the still-living mollusk, and was the means of attachment of the one to the other. I cut the tongue close to the shell and released the bird which went splashing and diving away to rejoin its parents, though without tongue or lower bill it could scarcely have survived for long. I broke the clam-shell and inside found the missing bill with the remainder of the tongue attached. The ragged end of the bill made it seem plain that having been thrust into the gaping shell, which promptly and firmly closed, it had been wrenched and torn off by the efforts of the bird to free itself, but the tongue yielding elastically to the strains did not give way. The Loon was a very young one in the downy stage with pin-feathers just appearing in the wings. The mussel and bill I now have, preserved for the inspection of the curious. Since then I have looked in many books for something about the feeding habits of Loons but have found nothing. If it is a habit of theirs to eat these mussels, my specimen simply began too early; if not, either it was too enterprising or too curious and tried to pick out the inmate from its shell gaping open upon the bottom, or else while probing for some- thing else in the sand it accidentally pushed its lower bill into the open shell, with the results above detailed. At all events the incident may show something to those fitted to interpret it.—W. F. Ganong, Northampton, Mass.
'Gull Dick' Again.—'Gull Dick' returned again (see Auk, IX, p. 227; X, p. 76; XI, p. 73 ; XII, p. 76) on the evening of April 6, 1895, in company with a young Gull, lie being hungry was fed as usual, and after satisfying his appetite flew around the lightship and, in company with the young Gull, took his departure. I had but little hope that I should ever hear of his return. I was consequently agreeably surprised on receiving a letter from Captain Edward Fogarty, dated Oct. 2, 1895, informing me that 'Dick' had arrived that morning at sunrise for the twenty-fourth season. He looked in much better condition than last season, his feathers being smooth, with nothing of the ragged appearance he presented on his arrival last year. He seemed pretty hungry on being fed at 7 A. M. There was another Gull with him, but evidently not a friend, as ' Dick ' would not allow him to partake of any of his breakfast.—George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass.
An Early Description of Phalacrocorax dilophus.—The unpublished journal of David Thompson, of the old North West Company, Book No. 25, bound in Vol. XI, folio 46, date Thursday, Maj 9, 181 1, when the celebrated traveller and surveyor was on certain headwaters of the Columbia River, has the following: "1 Cormorant. They are plenty. This had tine green eyes, the hall black, the eyelids marked with blue like very small beads to a button hole, and the neck ami head a tine glossy bright black with a bunch of side feathers on each side the back of the head."—Elliot Coues, Washington, D. C.
Another Harlequin Duck Record for Long Island.—A male Harlequin Duck (Histrionicus histrionicus) was shot at Orient Point (directly opposite Plum Island, L. I., where the species has formerly been taken) on November 11, 1895, and was mounted by a local bird stuffer. A female accompanied the male but was not procured. The male is now in the pos- session of Mrs. James Douglas of Orient, L.I.—W. W. Worthington, Shelter Island Heights, N. Y.
Olor buccinator in Western Minnesota.—It was not until 1893 that I observed this truly noble bird for the first time. Since then not less than seven specimens have come to my notice. The species is, however, not at all common in this section. No captures were reported in 1894, while in 1895, four individuals were secured. Some of the oldest sportsmen tell me that they have observed this Swan quite regularly on Lac qui Parle during the spring and fall migrations. It is somewhat amusing to hear of the immense size of a Swan as reported by these gunners. Speci- mens weighing 50 pounds have been reported! The largest specimen I ever examined weighed 16 pounds and was very fat. A beautiful adult male now in my collection, shot near here on April 9, 1893, weighed only 15 pounds, but it was not fat. It measured as follows: length, 51.00; extent of wing, 77.00; wing, 28.00; tail, 7.00 inches.—Albert Lano, Madison, Minn.
White-faced Glossy Ibis Breeding in Minnesota.—I am glad to report that on June 22 and July 2, 1S95, I took at Huron Lake, Jackson County, Minn., one mile from where two sets were taken in 1894, a set of three and one of four eggs (each complete) of the White faced Glossv Ibis (Plegadis guarauna) from exquisitely suspended nests of rushes, in rushes, and two feet above eighteen inches of water in a large rushy arm of the lake. Four pairs of birds apparently were breeding in a colony of Black- crowned Night Herons, Coots, and Pied-billed Grebes. A single nest each of Ruddy Duck and of Red-head were found, the former fifty feet, the latter about eighty rods, from one of the Ibis nests. Two line male Ibises were taken.
I have just received (Nov. 10) from the big woods, seventy-five miles southeast of here, a very large dark specimen of Scotiaptex cinerea.—P. B. Peabody, St. Vincent, Minn.
Ardetta neoxena from Wisconsin.—The Field Columbian Museum has just come into possession of an additional specimen of this rare Bittern through the gift of Mr. C. E. Akeley. Mr. Akeley shot the bird, which is now before me—amounted specimen—on Lake Koshkonng, Wis., May 11, 1893. It is a male in full plumage. Compared with the type of the species (No. 2001, Coll. Field Columbian Museum, Chicago) it agrees minutely above; below the throat and neck are just a trifle paler chestnut, and there is just a little more white on the abdomen. Mr. Akeley tells me no other examples were seen. — George K. Cherrie, Field Columbian Museum, Chicago, Ill.
The King Rail Again in Maine.—An adult male King Rail (Rallus elegans) was shot in Falmouth, Maine, on September 19, 1895, by Mr.
Walter Rich, of Portland, and is now in my collection. The township of
Falmouth lies northeast of Portland, and the locality where the bird was
taken was a brackish marsh known as ' The Dyke,' about two miles from
the city, near the mouth of the Presumpscot River. — Henry H. Brock, Portland, Me.
Baird's Sandpiper in Maine.—During the autumn of 1895 I made but two visits to the seashore and shot but seven Peeps, yet I secured two
Baird's Sandpipers (Tringa bairdii). I passed the forenoon of Sept. 7 on
Scarborough Beach, where I found less than a dozen Peeps and shot only
five. Four of these were Semipalmated Sandpipers, the other was a Baird's
Sandpiper. On Sept. 14 1 went to the beach again. In walking the entire
length of it,—perhaps a mile and a half,—I saw but three Peeps. One
of them escaped me. The others were shot together, and proved to be an
Ereunetes and a Baird's Sandpiper.—Nathan Clifford Brown, Portland, Me.
Baird's Sandpiper at East Hampton, Long Island, N. Y.—On Sept. 17, 1895, a Baird's Sandpiper (Tringa bairdii) was shot at East Hampton, Long Island, N. Y., and another bird of apparently the same species escaped. A Semipalmated Sandpiper was with them. — C. Wheaton Vaughan, New York City
The 1895 Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts.—Nantucket Island. The prevailing wind on August 13 was N. W.; on the 14th, east; on the 15th, S. W.; on the 16th, S. E. ; on the 17th and 18th, S. W.; on the 19th, north; 20th, N. E. and N. W.; 21st, N. W.; 22d, N. E. to N. W.; 24th, west; 25th, N. E. ; 26th, east; 27th, 28th, and 29th, N. W. The weather during the entire migrating period was pleasant with absence of storms or high winds. As a result these birds undoubtedly passed many miles outside of us, and only a few scattering Golden Plovers landed. On August 24 it was foggy outside the island with fresh southwest wind. The first Golden Plovers of the season were observed on this date, a flock of five at the west end of the island, flying towards the west. Two other single birds were seen at the eastern end of the island. On August 31 I saw a lone Golden Plover, and on September 1 a flock of four, one of which was shot, this being the first one taken this season. Later in the day four others were shot, three of which were young birds. In all twenty-four Golden Plovers were seen. On September 9 a flock of forty Plovers were seen at the west end of the island. This flock was also seen at the east end, and was probably the only flock on the island. On September 19 I saw seven Plovers in a certain preserved Held near the centre of the island. I also saw three others, one of which was a young bird. These a friend and I shot. I heard of a small bunch of Plovers having been sent up from Tuckernuck on this date, but I did not see them. Up to September 15; only one Golden Plover had been taken on Tuckernuck Island.
Not an Eskimo Curlew {Numenius borealis) has been seen as far as 1 have been able to learn this season. 1 have made repeated inquiries in the large Faneuil Hall Market in Boston, but have failed to learn of any Eskimo Curlew, and of but a few Golden Plover which had been taken on Cape Cod and at Ipswich, Mass. This meagre record is all I have to report for the season of 1895.—George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass.
Habits of the Valley Partridge.—While collecting birds and mammals on the upper head of the San Diego River, near Lakeside, San Diego County, California, on June 6, 1895, I walked unsuspectingly upon a bevy of Valley Partridges (Callipepla californica vallicola), consisting of an old male and female with about fifteen young ones. They were in a crevice of a fallen cottonwood-tree. On my stepping almost upon them, the male bird ran out a few feet and raised a loud call of ca-ra-ko; while the female uttered short calls, addressed to her brood. Seeing me, she picked up a young one between her legs, heat the ground sharply with her wings, and made towards the bush, in short jumps, holding the little one tightly between her legs, the remainder of the brood following her.
Can an reader of 'The Auk' tell me if this is a common practice with this species?—Frank Xavier Holzner, San Diego, Cal.
Additional Records of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes tnigratorius) in Wisconsin and Illinois.—I am indebted to my friend, Mr. John L. Stockton, of Highland Park, Ill., for information regarding the occurrence of this Pigeon in Wisconsin. While trout fishing on the Little Oconto River in the Reservation of the Menominee Indians Mr. Stockton saw, early in June. 1S95, a flock of some ten Pigeons for several consecutive days near his camp. They were first seen while alighting near the bank of the river, where they had evidently come to drink. I am very glad to say that they were not molested.
Mr. John F. Ferry of Lake Forest, Ill., has kindly notified me of the capture of a young female which was killed in that town on August 7, 1895. The bird was brought to him by a boy who had shot it with a rifle hall, and although in a mutilated condition he preserved it for his collection.
I have recently received a letter from Dr. H. V. Ogden, Milwaukee, Wis., informing me of the capture of a young female Pigeon which, was shot by Dr. Ernest Copeland on the 1st of October, 1895. These gentle- men were camping at the time in the northeast corner of Delta County, Mich. (Northern Peninsula), in the large hardwood forest that runs through that part of the State. They saw no other of the species.—Ruthven Deane, Chicago, Ill.
The Golden Eagle in New Jersey.—Authentic records of the recent occurrence of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaëtos) in the Eastern States are so rare that each one seems worthy of note. The following instance happened in New Jersey, on the Crosswicks Creek, about seven miles south of Trenton. The bird was captured by my friend the Rev. W. E. Daw, now of Towanda, Pa., in the late fall of 1888, as near as can now be ascertained. I append part of a recent communication received from him in regard to the Eagle, in answer to my note of inquiry for particulars regarding it. Efforts made to obtain more accurate information from the taxidermist as to the exact date of capture have entirely failed.
"In regard to the 'bird of freedom' my memory is very rusty as to the time when it was shot, but the place I remember distinctly. I was sitting in my boat up Crosswicks Creek, quietly waiting for squirrels in the chest- nut woods of Alfred Reid (I being somewhat hidden by the bushes to which the boat was tied), when the Eagle sailed overhead, and was about to light in a tree when I fired a charge of duck shot and broke his wing near the shoulder. He fell in the water and was floating down stream when I fired squirrel shot in his head and he was still. I have looked up my diary but can find no record of the date when I shot him, but think it was late in the fall in 1888; time of day, about five o'clock. The bird is still in my possession. He measured 6 feet 4 inches from tip to tip. I am positive he is a Golden Eagle for he is feathered to the toes and has the characteristic arrow-head feathers on head."—William C. Braislin, Brooklyn, N. Y.
The Golden Eagle in Maine—On August 19, 1895, Professor F. L. Harvey of the Maine State College and myself were making the ascent of Sandy River Mountain in northwest Maine. When we had nearly reached the summit of the mountain, we heard the cry of some raptorial bird, and a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaëtos) soon appeared and flew around us uttering its cry. We remained at the top of the mountain for some time, during which the Eagle remained in our vicinity and seemed much disturbed at our presence. We both concluded that the bird had young somewhere in our vicinity, and as the south side of the mountain was a steep cliff, there is no reasonable doubt but that the bird had a nest somewhere on the cliff. When it uttered its cry we could hear answering cries from the direction of the cliff, thus making it evident that the bird had young in the vicinity. — Ora W. Knight, Bangor, Maine.
A New Long Island. N. Y., Record for the Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus).—When visiting Mr. C. DuBois Wagstaft at Baby- lon, N. Y., last fall, 1 noticed a well-mounted specimen of this southern Woodpecker among a collection of local birds, and on inquiring the par- ticulars of its capture, Mr. Wagstaft informed me that he shot it upon a locust tree close to the house, a year or two after the war. A specimen was shot by me in Flushing. N. Y., in October 1S70, which I understood was the second record for Long Island, N. Y., but this bird antedates my specimen some years. The specimen in the collection of Mr. Geo. N. Lawrence, which was taken at Raynor South by a Mr. Ward, was killed many years ago and was, I believe, the first record for this locality.—Robert B. Lawrence, New York City.
The Deltoid Muscle in the Swifts.—In examining a number of Swifts recently I was struck with the fact that our common Chimney Swift (Chætura pelagica) lacks the deltoid muscle. This is interesting as being another instance of the specialization of the Swifts along various lines, and also as showing the structural variation among different members of the group. In Macropteryx the deltoid is well-developed and arises from two heads as in the Passeres. In Cypseloides, Micropus, Collocalia, and Tachornis, the deltoid is single and reduced in size, being proportionally smallest in Tachornis. Finally, as stated above, the deltoid is quite absent in Chætura pelagica, this being a step beyond what is found among the Hummingbirds, where the deltoid is present though small. It would be interesting to know if other members of the genus Chætura lack the deltoid, and also what is the condition of this muscle in Hemiprocne. Dr. Shufeldt's figure of the wing muscles of Chætura (Linn. Soc. Journ. Zool. XX, pl. 22, fig. 29) shows that he too found this muscle absent, although nothing is said about it in the text.
I would be extremely grateful to any one for alcoholic specimens of Hemiprocne or any species of Chætura save pelagica.—F. A. Lucas, Washington, D. C.
The Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Virginia and Maryland.—My friend, Mr. P. Henry Azlett, of Azlett, King William County, Virginia, recently sent me for identification an adult specimen of this bird (Milvulus forficatus) which was shot by a farmer near that place on August 31, 1895. The bird is in poor, half moulted condition. This is, I believe, the fourth record of this bird for Virginia, and it is of course possible that some or all were escaped cage birds. The late Mr. O. N. Bryan of Bryan's Point, Maryland, on the Potomac River just below Washington, once told me that in August of a year about the close of the war while he was in a deep ravine near his home, called Johnson's Gully, he was overtaken by a severe storm, and saw one of these birds which had evidently sought the seclusion of the same place for shelter.—William Palmer, Washington, D. C.
The Raven in Illinois.—I wish to place on record the capture of a specimen of Corvus corax principalis, at Mendosia, Ill., Oct. 23, 1892. I was at that time making a collection of birds for the State, and was living with the crew of the United States Fish Commission. The bird had been seen for a week or more previous to this time, flying about Lake Mendosia, a body of water opening into the Illinois River. The lake is seven miles long and three quarters of a mile wide. A number of attempts had been made by market shooters to obtain the bird for me, but they could not get within gunshot, and so were unsuccessful.
One day, however, as I was passing through a herd of cattle, the bird flew very low and I obtained it with a charge of number five shot. The specimen, a female, had been feeding upon carrion, and the odor from the body was as disagreeable as that from Cathartes aura. The plumage is exceptionally fine; the body is deep blue black; from the secondaries to the primary coverts, the color is rich brownish bronze. The following measurements were taken: extent of wings, 4 feet 3 inches; length, 23 inches; tarsus, 2.20; tail, 10.00; culmen, 3.00; lanceolate feathers of throat, 2.70.
The specimen was sent to Mr. Ridgway for positive identification, and is, so far as known, the only C. c. principalis, captured in Illinois. The specimen is now in the collection of the Chicago Academy of Sciences.—Frank M. Woodruff, Chicago, Ill.
The Ipswich Sparrow.—A Correction.—Dr. Jonathan Dwight, Jr.'s, interesting monograph of the Ipswich Sparrow[1] brings into prominence a boyish and ill-advised note on this bird which I published in the 'Bulletin' of the Nuttall Ornithological Club (Vol. II, pp. 27, 28). I regret that I have left the note so long unexpunged; but it is not too late to mend the matter, and I withdraw the record now.—Nathan Clifford Brown, Portland, Me.
Second Occurrence of the Lark Sparrow in Virginia.—While collecting on the 'Dry Isaacs' (one of the sandy islets on the ocean side of Cape Charles) on August 24, 1895, I flushed from the grass an immature male Chondestes grammacus, which after considerable trouble, owing to its wildness, I secured.—William Palmer, Washington, D. C.
The Cape May Warbler (Dendroica tigrina) in the Maritime Portions of South Carolina.—On September 13, 1895,1 shot an adult male Cape May Warbler from the top of a live-oak tree. It was in company with many other Warblers, all being busily engaged searching for insects. The next day I procured another male which I shot from the same tree. Previous to this date there was much stormy weather accompanied with heavy rain which lasted for tight days. The Cape May Warbler is a verv rare bird in the maritime districts of South Carolina, and these two are the only individuals which have ever been taken on the seaboard.—Arthur T. Wayne, Mount Pleasant, S. C.
The Carolina Wren in Connecticut. — While collecting in a grove about five miles from Bridgeport, April 20, 1895, Dr. E. H. Eames and the writer found two Carolina Wrens (Thryothorus ludovicianus) occupied in running about a stone wall. On June 13, we found both old birds and shot two young ones. The young, which had probably been out of the nest a week, had only a faint chirp and were not as active as the adults.—H. H. Taylor, Bridgeport. Conn.
The Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) on Long Island, South Carolina.—I shot a beautiful adult male of this Nuthatch within ten yards of the front beach on November 14, 1895, on Long Island, S. C. It was about one o'clock P. M., when, as I was sitting on some drift wood where the tide was coming in, I heard just over me kink, hink, hink. I had never heard this note before but I remembered Audubon's description, and truly there was the Red-breasted Nuthatch, which I had looked for in vain for twelve years, directly over me. There were two of them. The male I secured, but the female, which I badly wounded, I could not find. This species has never been taken in the maritime districts before, but has been recorded from Chester County, and my friend Mr. Ellison A. Smyth, Jr., shot one many years ago in Clarendon County. I have seen Mr. Smyth's bird and I beleive it was recorded in 'Random Notes on Natural History.'—Arthur T. Wayne, Mount Pleasant, S. C.
The Dwarf Thrush in Colorado.—A specimen of the Dwarf Thrush (Turdus aonalaschkæ) was taken October 6, 1895, at Magnolia, a small mining town some eight miles west of Boulder, Colorado. This is the first record of the species for this State. To make sure of the identifi- cation the bird was sent to Mr. Ridgway, who pronounced it a typical example of this species.—U. A. Sprague, Boulder, Col.
Food of Woodpeckers and Flycatchers.—Southern California seems well adapted to the birds of the family Picidæ. I have been at Claremont, Los Angeles County, less than two years, and have had little time to work with birds, yet I have secured the following species: Dryobates villosus harrisii, Xenopicus albolarvatus, Sphyrapicus ruber, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, Melanerpes formicivorus bairdii, Melanerpes torquatus, and Colaptes cafer. In the stomach of all these I have found insects, and often more or less bark. Melanerpes formicivorus bairdii has the habit of storing acorns in trees, presumably for future use as food. They gather the acorns and place them in holes which have been previously chiseled out by use of their bills. I have heard reliable observers state that they have frequently seen them eating these acorns during the winter months. Sphyrapicus ruber is the Sapsucker of southern California. It taps fruit trees, especially prune and apricot, and evergreens. Its mischief seems much more serious than that of its congener of the East, as trees are frequently killed by reason of its punctures, although these latter are more distant and less numerous. I never knew a tree to be killed by the Sapsuckers in Michigan. The evil in California is wrought in summer when the dry season has enfeebled the tree, and this is a possible explanation of the more serious harm to the trees of this region.
I have also been interested in the species of the family Tyrannidæ. I have taken at Claremont and the adjacent canons the following species: Tyrannus verticalis, Tyrannus vociferans, Myiarchus cinerascens, Sayornis sayi, Sayornis nigricans, Contopus borealis, Empidonax pusillus, and Empidonax difficilis. In the stomach of all these were found insects; but 8twice I found a strange exception to the usual food of the birds of this family. In two cases I found green olives in the stomach of Tyrannus verticalis, and in nearly all birds of the common species Sayornis nigricans, killed in winter, I have found pepper berries. Tyrannus verticalis is the Bee-martin of California. It flies from its perch near the apiary, captures its prey, then flies back to its perch, making some rapid motion, after which it swallows the bee. I have seen a toad swallow five bees in quick succession; then have killed the toad to find five bee stings sticking to its throat, and as many stingless bees in its stomach. Does the throat of the Kingbird become a sort of pin-cushion for bee stings, or does this bird extract the stings as it manipulates the bee before swallowing? I am eagerly waiting to settle this interesting question. I have taken worker bees from the stomach of the eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) but never noticed regarding the disposition of the stings. None of the Kingbirds which I have taken in California have had bees in their stomach, though I am told by good observers that this bird does capture and swallow bees.—A. J. Cook, Claremont, Cal.
Rare Visitors to the Connecticut River Valley in Massachusetts in 1895.—Seiurus motacilla.—On the 28th day of July, a Louisiana Water Thrush was found dead, on the piazza of a house in the central part of Springfield, undoubtedly having been killed by flying against a window. The capture of a specimen by Dr. J. A. Allen on Mount Tom in April, 1869, is the only other record of its occurrence here.
Rallus elegans.—October 19, a young King Rail was taken in Long- meadow. It was found in the Zizania aquatica which grows so profusely along the banks of the Connecticut River. The presence of this species in this part of the valley, I believe, has never before been noted; and the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirastris crepitans) has been captured here but twice.
Calcarius lapponicus.—A Lapland Longspur was shot in Longmeadow, November 28.—Robert O. Morris, Springfield, Mass.
A Correction.—In 'The Auk' for April, 1892 (Vol. IX, p. 144), in a note on the 'Habits of the Black-bellied Plover in Massachusetts,' I stated it as my conviction that the adults do not assume the gray and white winter plumage after having attained to the full adult spring plumage. I also expressed the same opinion in regard to the plumage of the adult Knots in 'The Auk' for January, 1893 (Vol. X, p. 32) in 'Observations on the Knot, Tringa canutus.' I now desire to withdraw both of these opinions, as I am inclined to doubt, although not yet certain, the correctness of such views, but believe it much better to so state, rather than let a probable error remain to misguide others.—George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass. Notes on Long Island Birds.—Melospiza lincolni.—In the Parkville woods along the edge of a thicket, a small, active sparrow was seen on the morning of Sept. 28, 1895. A recent moderate fall of temperature made the morning an animated scene of bird-migration, and this bird would hardly have attracted attention among many other small birds had •it not been for his alert and ill-at-ease manner. This fact alone led me to think him not a Song nor a Savanna Sparrow, either of which he might readily have been mistaken for. He made no sound by means of which aid could be gained in his identification, but stood on the horizontal limb of a small tree, with jerking tail and erected occipital feathers, as though resenting the gaze of an intruder. It proved a Lincoln's Sparrow. The specimen is an adult female.
Vireo gilvus.—On the morning of Sept. 16, 1S95, while on the Boule- vard just beyond Prospect Park, Brooklyn, I was attracted by a sustained melodious warble, which for the moment I was unable to place, but which I afterward remembered having been formerly fairly familiar with in New Jersey as the supposed song of the Warbling Vireo. I had never verified this supposition as it had always been heard in the shade trees of village streets. In this case the bird was in one of the outer of the four rows of shade trees which extent! the length of the Boulevard. At my approach it flew into one of a cross row of maple trees, about forty yards from that in which it had first been heard, where it was secured. It proved to be an adult male Warbling Vireo — a bird which on Long Island I had often searched and listened for in vain For some reason. this bird on Long Island is either rare or often overlooked. The latter seems the less likely in that its song is very characteristic, as well as being one of the sweetest, and most apt to attract attention of all our singing birds. Its song is" a refrain of trilled notes, varying up-hill and down in harmonious modulations, with only the merest pause between each effort of, it must be, twenty-five or thirty notes.
Helminthophila peregrina.—On the same morning on which the Lincoln's Sparrow was obtained (Sept. 2S, 1S95), and but a few minutes later, a specimen quite as rare was captured; namely, the Tennessee Warbler. This bird was in the woods and when first seen was on the ground, from whence it flew into the low pendant branches of a tree, about four feet from the ground. No bird-note that I could identify as his was heard. The specimen is an adult male.
Dendroica tigrina.—At Canaisee Village, Sept. 12, 1894, a Warbler of rather obscure markings was taken in the edge of a little grove of trees which stands back but a few yards from the salt-grass meadows. This and a male Black-throated Blue Warbler were seen in the lower branches of a thickly foliaged tree overhanging a heavy undergrowth of blackberry brambles and tall weeds. It was rather carelessly labeled as a Magnolia Warbler, which, of course, it does not in the least resemble. It was rediscovered and my diagnosis of it as the Cape May Warbler was kindly verified by Mr. Chapman. The specimen is an adult female. Dendroica castanea.—In the outskirts of the village of Flatbush, now a part of Brooklyn, on the morning of Sept. 24, 1895, a number of Warblers, chiefly Black-polls, was seen in a row of shade trees, not far from the Boulevard. Among them was a Bay-breasted Warbler, which was secured. It is an immature male with the buffy markings on the sides well developed.—William C. Braislin, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Nantucket and Muskeget Island Notes.—Falco sparverius.—Nantucket, Sept. 22, 1895, I observed eight American Sparrow- Hawks, in pairs, migrants; none noted before this season. Usually see a few about this time.
Asio accipitrinus. — Muskeget Island, June 2, 1895. Mr. John R. Sands- bury informs me that he discovered the nest of a Short-eared Owl on the northeast side of the island containing three young birds in the down. The nest was placed at the foot of a bunch of beach-grass {Ammophila arundinacea) and partially concealed. It was raised about four inches above the sand ; only one old bird was seen, it having been frightened off the nest. On July 7 Mr. Sandsbury and I saw one adult bird.
Symphemia semipalmata. — Nantucket. On May 2, 1895, Mr. Charles E. Snow informed me he saw five Willets at the Hummock Pond.
Totanus solitarius. — In the vicinity of the Hummock Pond, more Solitary Sandpipers have been noted this season than for a number of years. On Aug. 29, 1895, one female was taken ; on Sept. 9, three more; Sept. 10, another; on Sept. 29. I saw -.till another. They were formerly quite abundant, but are now scarce.
Ereunetes occidentalis. — -Aug. 29, 1S95. Four birds taken at the Hum- mock Pond, three of which proved on dissection to be females. These are the only ones I have observed here.
Macrorhamphus scolopaceus?—Aug. 29, 1895. A male bird (by dis- section) was taken at the Hummock Pond. This being a young bird of the year, it is next to impossible to certainly identify it. M. griseus is not uncommon here, but this is the first instance in which I have taken what I suppose to be M. scolopaceus.
Micropalama himantopus.— On Aug. 29. 1895, a female was taken at Hummock Pond. On Aug. 31, I shot another at the same place. This pond is a very large one. On Aug. 29, with some friends, aided by a horse and scoop, I dug a trench to the ocean, thereby draining it, hoping that the margins thus exposed would offer an inducement for some of the migrants to tarry.
Oidemia deglandi. — Sept. 2S, 1S95. Avery large flock of White-winged Scoters were observed on the edge of Squash Meadow Shoal.
Larus argentatus smithsonianus. — Muskeget Island, Nov. 1, 1895.
The very large increase in the number of Herring Gulls in this vicinity
has been remarked by all; nothing similar has been observed for years.
The northeast point of Muskeget, as also the shoals about Gravelly
Island, are covered with them in the morning, indicating that they
roost there.—George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass.
Gätke's Birds of Heligoland.—No work since the days of Audubon
has come to my notice which has interested me to the same extent as
this wonderfully instructive book. One reason for this is that the
knowledge I have acquired regarding some of our birds has been gleaned
during my long experience as a sportsman on the Atlantic seaboard. (It
is now many years since I learned that the most successful way of secur-
ing birds is through a knowledge of their habits.) I cannot therefore
fail to recognize and appreciate how dwarfed become the observations of
the ordinary observer in comparison with the life work of Mr. Gätke,
who has for half a century so patiently gathered the facts he now sets
before the ornithologists of both continents. It seems impossible to
read Gätke's book without being impressed with the importance of his
many years of painstaking research, and his originality and boldness of
thought. As Dr. Coues has rightly written in his review of this book in
the last number of 'The Auk' (Vol. XII, p. 322), 1895: "There is no
Heligoland but Heligoland, and Gätke is its prophet." It is nevertheless
equally true that all of the statements contained in this work cannot be
accepted as facts, as far as they relate to North American birds. For this
reason I desire to call the attention of American readers of the book, as
well as others, to certain of the author's claims regarding some American
birds which he, refers to in illustration of certain of his statements. I do
this with the greatest deference.
On page 16, five lines from the foot of the page, we read: "When one thinks of numbers of individuals such as these, which cannot be grasped by human intelligence, it seems absurd to talk of a conceivable diminution in the number of birds being effected through the agency of man." In North America, such a statement, in my opinion, can scarcely be assented to, as witness the destruction of American Golden Plovers (Charadrius domincus), Eskimo Curlews (Numenius borealis), and Bartramian Sandpipers (Bartramia longicauda), as also other species, in the Mississippi Valley during the spring migration to their northern breeding grounds. Also witness the fabulous quantities of eggs of the Water-birds taken in the far Northwest, as also on the Northeast coasts of North America.
On page 44 he savs: "We have stated in the course of this chapter that birds perform the journey from their winter quarters to the breeding stations, if possible, in one uninterrupted flight." In North America, as far as my observation shows, the reverse is the case with some of the Water-birds. The American Golden Plovers, Eskimo Curlews, Bartramian Sandpipers, and Black-bellied Plovers (Charadrius squatarola) all linger in the Mississippi Valley, and the last named on the Atlantic coast, on their way to their breeding grounds.
On page 51, in writing of Diving Ducks, etc., he says: "All these birds when alive and undisturbed (as also do their carcases) float so lightly on the water that they scarcely make any noticeable depression in it." I have always regarded the three varieties of Scoters (Oidcmia americana, O. deglandi, O. perspicillata), the American Eider (Somateria dresseri), Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax dilophus), Canvas-back Duck (Aythya vallisneria), and Loon (Urinator imber), as well as some others, as noticeably deep swimmers, and not very buoyant when dead and floating.
On page 69: "The distance between the coasts of the two countries [Labrador and northern Brazil], amounts to three thousand two hundred geographical miles, and since there is along this whole stretch of route not a single point on which the travellers could alight for rest, they are obliged to perform the whole length of this enormous journey in one uninterrupted flight." After coming down from the shores of the Arctic Ocean and the region above forest growth, their breeding home, the American Golden Plovers (as do also the Eskimo Curlews) collect in the vicinity of Labrador, where they rest a while, becoming very fat. From there they set out on their prolonged southern migration, steering boldly out to sea after leaving Nova Scotia. I believe they can, under favorable conditions, make the entire distance to their objective point, the Argentine Republic and Patagonia, in practically one flight, but if during such passage they require rest, they can easily obtain it by alighting on the ocean. This they do, being good swimmers. Neither are they exceptional in this respect, many others doing the same. As an instance in illustration one of my shooting acquaintances while Ashing one day about three miles off the coast of Massachusetts observed a flock of a dozen or fifteen Pectoral Sandpipers (Tringa maculata) passing; on whistling to them they abruptly turned from their course in response to his call, and flying towards his boat, whirled up into the wind and alighted on the ocean. After swimming around a short time they arose without effort, and, each bird giving its feathers a shake, proceeded on their way.
On page 101, he quotes Palmer, as saying: " Direct observations in nature have yielded the result that among flocks of migrants the older and stronger individuals are in general the leaders of the migratory host"; and adds: "He [Palmen] could not, however, have begun the treatment of this question with a more unfortunate assertion; for there is no one who has ever made observations which might support this view." I have made observations for a good many years on the Atlantic coast of North America, and I have particularly noticed many times during the migration northward of the Surf. Scoters (Oidemia perspicillata) in April, that many of the larger flocks of fifty to one hundred birds, are led by a full plumaged adult drake. The white markings on the head and neck, highly colored bill, and glossy black plumage render a mistake in identification unlikely.
Page 102, he thus formulates his conclusions on this subject: " 1. That under normal conditions in the case of the three hundred and ninety-six species occurring here, with the exception of a single one, the autumn migration is initiated by the young birds, from about six to eight weeks after leaving their nests. 2. That the parents of these young individuals do not follow till one or two months later." Taking the American Golden Plover again as an illustration, I must say that without a single exception my observations show results directly opposite, the adults always preceding the younger birds, usually from one to three weeks. It is not unusual for the adults and young to migrate together, but I have no knowledge of the young arriving first on the New England coast. A few examples from my note book may not be out of place. On the night of Sept. ii, 1S89, amidst rain, fog, and southeast wind. Eskimo Curlews' and Golden Plovers, with a few voting birds of the latter, landed on Nan- tucket Island, Massachusetts. On August 25, wind fresh south by east, and night of the 26th, 1892, there was a large flight of adult American Golden Plovers (the second large flight of this month), some two hundred and seventy-five of which were shot. It was not until September 1 that the first young bird of the season was noted; the first flock (about 25 birds) was noticed on September 3, two of which were shot. On September 15, I noticed two flocks of young birds containing thirty and twenty-five birds respectively. The larger flock, after mounting high up in a spiral way and circling, headed southwest on migration. There was not one black and white breasted bird in that Hock, and this goes to prove that these young birds can, if necessary, migrate by themselves. But according to my observations, most of the flocks of young birds that land on the island of Nantucket while on their southern migration (they never return via the Atlantic coast in the spring) contain one or more adults, that is, until late in the season and the old birds have passed by, at which time we find few, if any, adults in the flocks with the young birds. Neither do the young birds seem to care to join at this later date with the adults, if there are any living in the vicinity. On September 11, 1894, I shot eleven young birds, the first noted that season. They must have landed the previous night, as all those previously seen were black and white breasted birds, of which I shot fifteen on the 27th of August. In 1888, up to September 8, a friend and I had shot seventy-three black and white breasted birds, but did not see a young bird until that date. On the night of September 24 or 25, 1882, over one thousand young Golden Plovers (Palebellies) landed on Nantucket Island during a northeast rain storm. I shot forty-nine of them the next day. Not a single black and white breasted bird passed me that day, nor did I hear of one being shot. I instance this out of regard for Mr. Gätke's view, that the young birds can and do migrate by themselves. I might give many more instances of the case in point, but they would be only repetitions with other dates.
Again, page 471, with reference to his statements respecting Charadrius squatarola, I may say that with us, the adults arrive first in the middle of July, while it is not usual to see more than scattering young birds before the first week in September (see Auk, Vol. X, p. 79). Again (see Gätke, page 499), the adult Knots (Tringa canutus) with us precede the young, the former appearing during the latter part of July, the young from the latter part of August to September 10. On this coast, as far as I know, the adults of the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) arrive first. I merely mention it, as this bird is very closely allied to the Whimbrel (Numenius phœopus) (see Gätke, page 460). This is also the case with the Hudsonian Curlew.
Judging from the twenty-five years' shooting experience of one of my friends at one of the larger fresh water ponds in Massachusetts, where the shooting of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) has been made a specialty, it appears that they migrate in broods. It makes little difference how many birds may be travelling in company, for on alighting in the pond (unless in very stormy weather) they separate, each gander and goose with their young keeping together, the gander leading.
My observations in relation to rate of speed and length of flight lead me to believe that under very favorable conditions, such as flying before a very strong wind, such birds as the American Golden Plover and Eskimo Curlew for instance, will attain a speed of one hundred and fifty to two hundred miles an hour. It is consequently not inconceivable to me that under such favorable conditions they are able to reach the Argen- tine Republic or Patagonia in one flight, or with a possible rest on the ocean. Hence I cannot regard a flight, under favorable circumstances across the Atlantic ocean, as any great hardship to many of our birds.George H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass.
CORRESPONDENCE.
The Soaring of Birds and Currents of Air.
To the Editors of 'The Auk':—
Dear Sirs,—Allow me to call the attention of ornithologists to the following question in which ornithology and meteorology join hands.
In recent years, wind vanes have been devised to indicate the vertical component of the wind's motion, and it has been shown that there is a significant variation in the strength of this component in various kinds of weather. It has long been known that the diurnal variation of wind velocity on land was due to local convectional ascending and descending currents, these varying greatly at different times and places, according to the nature of the land surface, the strength of sunshine, etc.
In recent years, attention has frequently been called to the importance of vertical currents in air movement as an aid in the flight of birds, Professor Langley's studies being perhaps the most important in this direction.
- ↑ Memoirs of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, No. II. Cambridge, Mass. August, 1895.