June, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



83 



The following table shows the numbers of 

 Meadow Larks present near Highland Liglit 

 during each of the three months of autumn 

 and of winter: 



1st Month. 2<l MoHf/i. 3i/ Jfoiilh. Total Xo. 

 Autumn, 34 71 105 



Winter, 106 81 50 437 



A comparison of these figures demonstrates 

 that the Marsh Quail is more common on the 

 tip of Cape Cod in winter than at other seasons, 

 for although it is not likely that they are 

 wholly absent during summer, as the record 

 for September seems to indicate, it is plain 

 that there is a decided increase throughout 

 the season, of southward migration, and tliat 

 this increase differs from the swelling of the 

 numbers at points on the main body of the 

 land. This essential difference is, tliat the 

 number of Meadow Larks present, remains at 

 or near the highest point throughout the win- 

 ter, at Highland Light, while at the other 

 stations it falls away more or less rapidly as 

 the birds pass further to the south before locat- 

 ing for the winter. The greater plentifulness of 

 a number of birds in the Cape district, than at 

 other localities in the State at this season, has 

 already been mentioned, but this is one of the 

 most apparent of them all. It would seem as 

 though the arm of land constituting Cape Cod 

 might be ai^tly compared to an oasis of a 

 desert, in which many spend the winter, 

 though surrounded on all sides by a practically 

 uninhabitable country. 



4. The Crow Blackbird. Tliis bird is a rare 

 winter resident in southern Massacliusetls. A 

 probable solitary individual wintered in the 

 game preserve on Naushon Island, and was 

 observed by Mr. Chisholm about the barns on 

 several occasions, notably, on January 14th 

 and 28th, and on February 11th and 27th, 

 During the previous winter, a Blackbird 

 remained about Wood's IIoll and was easily 

 indeutified by its peculiar flight vvliich was not 

 in a straight course, but diagonally to the 

 right, from the direction in which he was head 

 lug. The Naushon bird was, however, appar. 

 eiitly uncrippled, and was considered to have 

 remained over from choice. 



.5. Shari^-shimied Ilawk. This Hawk is con- 

 sidered by many as a rare winter resident in 

 this State and I therefore append the following 

 notes relating to its occurrence: 



A single bird was seen on four occasions in 



Taunton by Mr. Scudder, viz., on December :jd, 



4th and 12th and on January 4th. At Naushon, 



it was taken in a steel trap, by Mr. Chisholm, 



n January 13th, 19th and 28tli, and he informs 



me that one or two are usually taken every 

 winter. I remember of one or two instances 

 where a Hawk of this species took up his win- 

 ter quarters in a church-yard in Taunton, and 

 from which he conducted frequent raids on the 

 English Sparrows of the principal streets. 



6. Cooper's Haick. Mr. Scudder recorded 

 single birds of this species at Taunton on 

 December 2d and January 1st. 



7. The Marsh Hawk. Another unexpected 

 fact which was demonstrated by the "Bach- 

 elder blanks," is the presence of the Harrier, 

 as a regular and common winter resident on the 

 Cape. Mr. Small reported three birds on as 

 many days in December, at Highland Light 

 eight, during January, three being seen during a 

 single day ; and nine for the month of February. 

 Compared with the numbers recorded on the 

 three proceeding months at the same station, 

 the results are very satisfactory, as the 

 following table shows: 



NO. OF MAESII HAWKS IN FALL AND WINTER, 



Igt Mouth. 2(1 Month. 3d Month. Total Xo. 

 Autumn, 22 14 24 50 



Winter, 3 8 9 20 



Judging from the totals for the different 

 seasons, as here computed, we find that the 

 Hawks are only reduced in numbers to one 

 third in winter time and are still left rather 

 common than otherwise, as Hawks go, and 

 certainly more plenty than we would naturally 

 expect from our knowledge of this particular 

 species as a winter resident of Massachusetts. 

 I also suspect that the number of Harriers 

 recorded at Highland Light during the three 

 autumnal months is considerable above the 

 average of most Massachusetts localities, as 

 the following notes tend to show: 



During the time that sixty Marsh Hawks 

 were recorded at North Truro, only four were 

 seen at Wood's Holl and none at all at Taunton, 

 so that if we judge the abundance of that 

 bird as a winter resident on Cajje Cod, by the 

 numbers present at other localities during the 

 fall migration when Hawks as a class are the 

 most common, they may really be said to be 

 abundant. This last comparison I only give as 

 provisional, as my notes on the comparitive 

 abundance of the Marsh Hawk are as yet too 

 inextensive to serve as a basis for the deduc- 

 tion of very accurate conclusions. 



8. The NUiht Heron. This Heron is consid- 

 ered to be rare in winter at this point, although 

 Mr. Brewster tells me that they spend the win- 

 ter regularly at Fresh Pond, Cambridge. A 

 Night Heron was shot at this place, on Decem- 

 ber 26th, by Mr. O. Grinnell and another was 



