128 General Notes. 



chorea leucorrhoa), and some Skuas (Stercorarius pomatorhinvs) and one 

 Sterna hirundo. The men were dressing fish, and 'Hags' were numerous 

 and bold, coming within six feet of ine to pick up Ash livers. Petrels by the 

 hundreds all around." 



Several day? of stormy weather followed, when few birds were obtained 

 or apparently observed. Later, he says : — 



"September 8. SawseveraJ S. pomatorhinus, P. anglorum, and '( larey Chickens' 

 this a. H. These birds evidently follow vessi Is for the garbage. The Petrels 

 seem to be flying about all night, as when on deck at night I have often seen a 

 black shadow Hit by close to me, and on moonlight nights they come up very 

 close, even picking bits of gurry off the rail. Shot to-day eleven S. pomatorhi- 

 nus, representing two plumages. These birds in the sooty plumage are known 

 as Black Marlingspikes. This afternoon a Yellow Warbler (JDendroxa a 

 came aboard, but soon flew away. 



"September 9. Shot two S. pomatorhinus and one 'Whip-tail.' This bird was 

 not common. 1 saw only a few. It proved to be Stercorarius cepphus \=zpara* 

 siticus]. Saw two ( hay Gulls, which I think were Larus marinus. ' Hags ' have 

 been quite scarce the past day or two. 



" SepU mber 12. Shot eight Larey Chickens at once to-day ; they were very 

 numerous. 



" Se})tcmber 15. Made the coast of Nova Scotia, — the first land seen for six- 

 teen days. It looked good. Gannets (Sula bassana) in winter plumage com- 

 mon all day along the coast; also some 'Hags' and Terns; nothing new. 

 Strange to say, these Gannets are called by their right name. 



" September 16. Saw several 'Sea Geese ' ; they were much tamer than when 

 previously seen. At 3 p. m. two Gray Eagles were seen, and at 3.30 a Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk Hew astern, going north toward the land, some seventy miles 

 distanl ." 



On September 17 Skua and Herring Gulls were seen in Ipswich Bay 

 apparently contending for " tinker " mackerel. A " Gray Coot" (CEdemiq 

 velvetina) was also observed. 



Under date of September "j, on Quereau Bank, he notes the appearance 

 in the vicinity of the vessel of the Greater Telltale (Totcunts meUmoleucus) 

 and the Turnstone (Strepsilas interpres), a single individual of each. On 

 August 31, when eighty-two miles from land, a Yellow Warbler (Deitdrceca 

 asiifii) alighted on the vessel, but soon flew away in the direction of the 

 Land, thi< making two specimens of this species that visited the vessel 



when out of Bighl of land. 



Of the -pcei.- of strictly Sea-Birds noted, the Petrels and the Pomarine 

 I appear to have been the most abundant, in addition to which were 



observed the Skua (Stercorarius catarrhactes"), the Long-tailed Jac_ r er 

 (S. parasiticus'), and one or two species each of Terns and Gulls, while 



small flocks of Red Phalaropes were seen on several occasions. Mr. 



Ridgway informs me that Mr. Newcomb's collection contained also two 

 Bpecimens of Richardson's Skua (S. crepidatus). — J. A. Ai.i.k.n, Cam- 

 bridge, Muss. J 







