BIRDS OBSER\^D IN LITCHFIELD COUNTY 



summers ago. He showed me a set of eggs which he took 

 in ^Yincheste^, June 8, 1879. 



56. Spotted Sandpiper. Actitis macularia. Common summer 



resident, found nearly everj-where. 



57. Kildeer. Oxyechus vociferus. Another formerly common 



summer resident, now rarely breeding, and only occasional 

 as a migrant. Mr. Woodruff finds it as a rare migrant in 

 Litchfield. !Mr. Hanson showed me a mounted specimen 

 shot from a flock of yellow-legs, in Burrville. j\Ir. Wil- 

 liams sees a few nearly ever}^ spring and fall, and has a set 

 of eggs which he took in Winchester about twenty years ago. 



58. Semipalmated Plover. ^Egialitis semipalmata. A rare mi- 



grant, wandering inland from the coast, and doubtless 

 appearing occasionally along the larger lakes. The only 

 positive record which I can quote is of one noted by Mr. 

 Sanford June 3, 1905. 



59. Bob- white. Colinus virginianus. Until the winter of 1903-4 



a common resident everywhere. The severity of that and 

 the following winter nearly exterminated the species, and 

 now very few can be found. 



60. Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus. A common resident. 



In the spring or summer of 1907 there was a widespread 

 destruction of the grouse, or failure to raise young, through- 

 out the northeastern United States, and at present the 

 species seems to be greatly reduced from its previous 

 abundance. 



61. Canadian Ruffed Grouse. Bonasa umbellus togata. All 



the four specimens of Ruffed Grouse in the collection of 

 Mr. Woodruff from Litchfield were found by Doctor 

 Bishop, upon comparison with his series, to be of this 

 form. jNIessrs. Austin and Hanson have noted these very 

 gray birds. Probably the form occurs regularly. 



62. Mourning Dove. Zenaidura macroura. A rather scarce 



summer resident. I have seen an occasional individual 

 or pair in Kent. 



63. Turkey Vulture or Buzzard. Carthartes aura. A rare 



straggler in summer. One was caught alive, slightly 



296 



