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OKNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. 8 



birds are blown in shore and stop to feed and 

 rest. 'J'his relates to the autumn migrations 

 when the birds are flying south. In the spring, 

 the wind most favoraljle for (lights would be 

 northeast. 



Fn this list I have given in addition to the 

 scientific and English name by vvliich it is 

 known to ornitliologists, the local name, that 

 it is called by the gunners on Cape Cod. 



Ited Phalarope, Crijmophilnsfalicarins (Linn). 

 Whale Biid on Cape Cod. A rare spring mi- 

 grant. This bird arrives in the spring at the 

 same tune as the following species {Phnlaropiis 

 tobatns) with whom it associates in its mi- 

 grations, and like the lattei' is not regular in its 

 appearance on the Cape coast. 



Nortliern Piialai-ope, Phalairqius hilintns 

 (Fiinn.) Whale Bird on Cape Cod. A common 

 spring migrant. This bii-d passes the Cajie 

 coast lietween the first and twenty-tiftli of 

 May. As this bird feeds and lives wholly in the 

 water, it may most properly be called a "sea 

 bird." It is irregular in its appearance in 

 sliore, and it is only after a heavy storm on 

 shore oi- thick fog that it is seen in the bays, 

 Iiarbors, and inlets of Cape Cod. The men that 

 go ten to twenty miles from shore in boats cod- 

 tishing in the spring, repoi't seeing many flocks 

 of '-whale birds" as they call them. I have 

 seen them when on a fishing schooner on sev- 

 eral occasions in large flocks feeding on some 

 kiud of substance that they got from the huge 

 masses of floating sea and rock weed. They 

 are very tame, especially in foggy weather, and 

 will allow one to approach within a few yards, 

 in a boat, before they will fly. Tliey are pretty 

 to see, as they float or swim gracefully and 

 lightly on tlie water. One of the Hock will 

 leave the others and fly a short distance ahead 

 and alight on flie water, and a second, third, 

 and fourth will folli>w, .-ind so on. In this nian- 

 nc-r, manv of the flock are always in motion. 

 When they ccime in about Monomoy Island, 

 they are usually seen in the tide ripsofi'tlie 

 point, and near the ciil through which the out 

 tide flows ihiimgli the Island into the bay from 

 the ocean. 



.\uierican Woodcock, PhiluJii-hi miiinr ((imel.) 

 Summer resident. I{r<'eds. Although this bird 

 is not coinnKin in tbi' summer, it is Kderably so 

 in the sprijig .and autumn flights. Its dates of 

 arrival are the same as in other portions of 

 New England. Its habits are pretty well 

 known, and as it canimt properly be <-alled a 

 shore bird, I will not t.ake up the space by an 

 account of them. 'I'licy have been taken as far 

 down towards the end of the Cape as Orleans, 



and I liave seen borings in corn fields and 

 fluslied one from the edge of a swamp at that 

 place. i^)uite a number are shot in the autumn 

 at Barnstable, and are usually found in pines. 



Wilson's Snipe, GaUina(io delkatd (Ord.) 

 \ conuiion spring and autumn migrant. It 

 arrives in the spring early in April, and all do 

 not pass before the middle of May. In autumn 

 it reaches the Cape about the second week in 

 August, but is not in full foice until the middle 

 or last week of .September. On the Cape it is 

 found on fresh marshes and springy bottoms at 

 the edges of salt marshes. The best locality 

 thit I know of is a soft, muddy marsh near 

 Harwich called the " Grassy Pond." It is very 

 springy and miry, and is overflowed with water 

 in the winter and spiing, which dries away 

 during the suunner, leaving large pools of 

 water in some places. It is crossed liy several 

 wide ditches and is covered l)y patches of grass, 

 rushes, and lily pads. It is exceedingly hard, 

 tiresome work traveling about on ihe marsh, 

 and although in some parts there is a Arm bot- 

 tom, in most parts it is very miry, and one will 

 sink to his hips at every step. On several oc- 

 casions I have gone down into the mud up to 

 my arms. I have had some fine sport with 

 duck, teal, rail birds ami snipe, and have 

 started as many as forty of the latter in a few 

 hours tramp over this marsh on a September 

 morn. Of late years they have not been as 

 plentiful in this and other localities on Cape 

 Cod. Most of them leave by the last of Octo- 

 ber, but a few remain until the soil freezes. 



Red-breasted Snipe, Mai-rorliamplius griseus 

 (Gmel.) Brown-back on Cape Cod. A com- 

 mon s|)ring, summer, and autumn migrant. 

 The first arrivals in the spring reach the Cape 

 as early as May 1, and become common about 

 May 20. Only a tew stragglers are seen after 

 June 1. In the summer migration the first ones 

 arrive at Cape Cod about July 5. Several old 

 Cape gunners say that they always go for then\ 

 at Monomoy Island the litli of .Inly. They are 

 the most couunon from .luly l-'i to .July 2.5. A 

 few continue to arrive until the middle of 

 Augusr, and by the last of that monlh none are 

 seen about the Cape. One thing that I have 

 noticed, is that there are very few young birds 

 of this si)ecies seen. Unlike the other shore 

 birds in tlie fall migration, a very great major- 

 ity of these birds seen on the Cape are adults. 



These birds go on to the flats to feed as soon 

 as tlie tide ebbs off sufficient to allow them to 

 wade about. They follow the tide out in the 

 manner of sandpipers, wading belly deep in the 

 water, sticking their long, probe shaped bill 



