March, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



43 



Birds of Five-mile Beach. 



Five-mile Beach, situated on the coast of 

 New Jersey, twelve miles north of Cape May 

 and twenty-four miles from Philadelphia, is 

 a narrow strip of land at no place more than 

 a mile in width, and, as its name indicates, 

 about five miles in length. It is bounded on 

 the north by Hereford Inlet, on the east by the 

 Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Turtle-Cut 

 Inlet, while to the west stretches away a 

 broad expanse of salt marshes. The fjreater 

 part of the beach is thickly wooded; the 

 holly, maple, oak and cedar being the prin- 

 cipal trees, while the undergrowth is a mass 

 of thorn, blackberry and bramble, in many 

 cases so dense as to be almost impenetrable. 

 Numerous small streams and brackish ponds 

 are scattered throughout the neighborhood. 

 To the botanist, entomologist and ornitholo- 

 gist mucii of interest is to be found on this 

 beach. Mr. Henry VVenzel of the Philadel- 

 phia Academy of Natural Science, who has 

 been my companion on several trips to this 

 place, has turned up no less then ten species 

 of Coleoptera, heretofore not recorded as 

 being found north of the Carolinas, while 

 several species proved new to science. 



The following notes are the result of 

 eighty-two trips made to this interesting lo- 

 cality, the length of the trips being from that 

 of a day to two weeks: 



2. HolbcelTs Grebe (Cnlymbtis holbcellii). 

 Have met with this species on several oc- 

 casions during the winter months. 



i). Horned Grebe {ColymhuH anritus). 

 Common from late in October until end of 

 March. The local name applied to this species 

 is that of Sausage Neck. 



0. Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymhwi podlceps). 

 Probably rare, as I have met with it but twice. 



T. Loon {Urinator irnher). (!ommon during 

 winter months. 



;52. Razor-billed Auk (Alca torda). Three 

 birds of this species were observed on (irassy 

 Sound on several occasions during the month 

 of February, 18H1. 



")!«,. American Herring Gull {Larus argen- 

 tatns smith sonianus). The first generally 

 arrive about October Gth ; by the 20th they 

 are common, and remain so until about the 

 10th of April, when they start north. 



54. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delaivarensis). 

 Arrives and departs about the same time as 

 its near relative, the Herring Gull, and is 

 equally abundant. 



58. Laughing Gull (Larus atricilla). Com- 

 mon from April until October. Large num- 

 bers breed in the vicinity of Five-mile Beach. 

 Gull Island takes its name from the number 

 of birds of this species that breed there. 



70. Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). Very 

 common from Apiil until October. Many 

 breed on the lower point of the opposite 

 beach. 



74. Least Tern (Sterna antillarum). Com- 

 mon but not as much so as a few years ago. 

 Some breed on the ojiposite beach. 



94. Sooty Shearwater (Puffinus stricklandi). 

 Two birds of this species were shot by Capt. 

 Taylor at the fishing banks opposite Five- 

 mile Beach and presented to me. 



109. Wilson's Petrel (Oceanites oceaniciis). 

 Common at the fishing banks opposite the 

 beach. 



117. Gannet (Sula bassana). Occasionally 

 seen at the fishing banks opposite the beach. 

 A fine $ was shot by Capt. Taylor on April 

 26th and presented to me. 



120. Double-crested Cormorant (Phalucro- 

 coraxdilophus). Common. Often flying close 

 in along the beach. Known to the residents 

 on the beach by the name of Nigger Goose. 



129. American Merganser (Merganser 

 americanus). Have seen but few^ of this 

 species, probably rare. 



180. Red-breasted Merganser (Merganser 

 serrator). Very common from October until 

 April. May breed in the neighborhood, as 

 specimens have been seen throughout the 

 summer. 



131. Hooded Merganser (Lopltodytes cucul- 

 latus). Rare. A few killed each winter. 

 Known to the local gunners by the name of 

 Hairy Head. 



132. Mallard (Anas boschas). Rare. One 

 secured this winter and one last winter. 



133. Black Duck (Anas obsciira). Very 

 common. During a hard winter, when the 

 salt ponds and small creeks are frozen up, large 

 numbers are killed. 



135. Gadwall (Anas strepera). Rare. A 

 stray specimen of this species sometimes 

 killed. 



137. Baldpate (Anas americana). Rare. 

 Capt. Taylor secured two during the winter 

 1889-90. 



139. Green-winged Teal (Anas carolinensis). 

 Rare. My only record of this species is a 

 specimen shot by John Stermer on November 

 15, 1890. 



142. Shoveller (Spatula clypeata). Very 

 rare. One shot by Capt. Taylor in the winter 



