292 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Sept. 



departing again about the last of September. Yarrell describes 

 the legs and feet as "greenish brown;" they are, however, of a 

 pretty yellow-green, but soon lose this colour after death. The 

 American bittern makes a curious thumping noise, very much 

 resembling the noise made by fishermen when driving oakum into 

 the seams of their boats ; hence probably arose its popular name 

 of " stake-driver" in the United States, and '' corker" (? caulker) 

 in Newfoundland. 



Charadrid^. 



American. Golden Plover^ Charadrius virginicus (Borck). — 

 Visits Newfoundland abundantly in the autumnal migration, but 

 very rarely, if at all, in the vernal. 



KiUdeer, ^gialitis vociferus (Linn.) — Not so common as the 

 preceding, otherwise the remarks on that species are equally 

 applicable here. 



Ring Plover^ or Semipalmated Plover, A. semipalmatus (Bon.) 

 — A summer migrant and breeds on the coast : this and the 

 following species are called " beach birds." 



Piping Plover, A. melodus (Orc^.)— Appeared to be a common 

 autumn migrant, congregating in large flocks. 



Grei/ Plover, or Blackhellied Plover, Squatarola helvetica 

 (Linn.) — Very common in the fall of the year, but I did not meet 

 with it in spring: the plovers evidently take some other, and 

 probably more direct route than vid Newfoundland to their 

 breeding grounds in the far north. 



HiEMATOPODID^. 



Turnstone, Strepsilas interpres (Linn.) — Abundant on the sea- 

 shore in the fall of the year, and generally so fat that the settlers 

 have bestowed on it the appropriate name of" fat oxen." 



Of the Recurvirostridae I did not meet with either Recurvirostra 

 amcricana, Gmelin, or Himantopus nigricoUis, Vieillot, although 

 both, but more especially the former, may reasonably be expected 

 to occur periodically. 



Phalaropodid^. 



Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius (Linn.) — Visits New- 

 foundland generally in the month of June, and is sometimes 

 tolerably common, but I doubt whether it breeds on the island. 

 This is undoubtedly our old friend Phalaropus lobatus in its nup- 



