204 NORTJI AMERICAN BIRDS. 



lautic to the Missouri Eiver, and from Louisiana and Florida to the Arctic 

 regions. In a large portion of the United States it is only known as a 

 migratory species, passing rapidly through in early spring, and hardly 

 makinff a longer stay in the fall, llichardson states that the summer 



^ , _^_ ^ _ _- range of this bird extends to the 



68th parallel, or as far as the woods 

 extend. It arrives at the Saskatch- 

 ewan in the end of April, and at 

 Great Bear Lake, latitude 65°, by 

 the 3d of Ma}-. They come in pairs, 

 and for a time frequent the sandy 

 beaches of secluded lakes, feeding 

 on coleopterous insects. Later in 

 the season they are said to make 

 depredations upon the gi-ain-fields. 



They pass through Massachusetts 



from the 8th of ]\Iarc]i to the first of 



~ 7 7 ^ April, in irrerrular companies, none of 



Scolecopnagits ffrrugineus- ^ ~ ' 



which make any stay, but mo\'e hur- 

 riedly on. They begin to return early in October, and are found irregularly 

 throughout that month. They are unsuspicious and easily approached, and 

 frequent the streams and edges of ponds during their stay. 



]\Ir. Boardman states that these birds are common near Calais, ]\Ie., arriving 

 there in ilarch, some remaining to breed. In AVestern Massachusetts, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Allen, they are rather rare, being seen only occasionally in 

 spring and fall as stragglers, or in small flocks. j\Ir. Allen gives as their 

 arrival the last of September, and has seen them as late as November 24. 

 They also were abundant in Nova Scotia. Dr. Cones states that in South 

 Carolina they winter from November until March. 



These birds are said to sing during pairing-time, and become nearly silent 

 while rearing their young, but in the fall resume their song. Nuttall has 

 lieard them sing until the approach of winter. He thinks their notes are 

 quite agreeable and musical, and much more melodious than those of the 

 other species. 



During their stay in the vicinity of Boston, they assemble in large num- 

 bers, to roost in the reed marshes on the edges of ponds, and especially in 

 those of Fresh Pond, Cambridge. Tliey feed during the day chiefly on grass- 

 hoppers and berries, and rarely molest the grain. 



According to Wilson, they reach Pennsylvania early in October, and at 

 this period make Indian corn their principal food. They lea\-e about the 

 middle of November. In South Carolina he found them numei'ous around 

 the rice plantations, feeding about the hog-pens and wherever they could 

 procure corn. They are easily domesticated, becomuig very familiar in a few 

 days, and readily reconciled to confinement. 



