S6 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Anser dlbifrorts ynmbeli, American 

 White-fronted Goose. Very rare; only a 

 few ever having been recorded in Mary- 

 land. November 13, 1893, my uncle shot 

 •one over Duck decoys on Gunpowder 

 IRiver, It was alone at the time. It 

 was mounted and is now in the Mary- 

 land Academy of Sciences, this city. 



Branta canadentiis , Canada Goos 

 Very common during the migrations. 

 Many are killed at the shores at the 

 mouths of our rivers and along the Bay 

 shore. I have se<in large numbers off 

 Legoe's Point at the mouth of Bush 

 £iver. 



T3ranta bernicla, Brant. This is 

 more of a maritime bird and remains 

 along the coast. 



Olor cohimbianus, Whistling Swan. 

 Common in Chesapeake Bay, often as- 

 cending its tributaries. I have seen 

 large tioeks bedded in the Bay off 

 Legoe's Point, where many are killed 

 :at times. March 14, 181)3. I saw a dock 

 of six in Gunpowder River, where they 

 I'emained within a radius of about two 

 hundred yards all day. They are some- 

 times killed on the Potomac as high up 

 as Harper's Ferry. November 6, 1893, 

 several flocks were on the Potomac 

 ■opposite Brunswick. 



Rallus elegans. King Kail, Fresh- 

 water Marsh-hen. Often shot in the 

 fresh water marshes by gunners when 

 after Reedbirds, etc. It is resident in 

 summer and I have taken two sets of 

 its eggs. 



Rallus crepitans. Clapper Rail, Salt- 

 water Marsh-hen, Mud-hen, Sedge-hen, 

 etc. Migratory; abundant in the salt 

 marshes along the Atlantic coast, where 

 it breeds in immense numbers. I have 

 seen numbers of them floating about 

 on the "drift" during a high tide. 



Rallus virginianus, Virginia Rail. 

 Migratory; not common; sometimes shot 

 an the marshes. 



Porzana Carolina, Sora, CarolinaRail, 

 Ortolan. The Rail, as it is commonly 

 called, is wery abundant in our fresh 



water marshes during the fall migra- 

 tion in August and September. Oa 

 the marshes at Marlboro and Notting- 

 ham it is not an unusual thing for a 

 single man to bag from 250 to 300 birds 

 a day. At this season I hey are very 

 fat, and are highly esteemed for the 

 table. 



^ iiliea americana, American Coot. 

 This bird is often shot and sold in mar- 

 ket as the Crow-bill Duck. They are 

 poor eating being rank and fishy. Mi- 

 gratory. 



Pliilohela minor, American Woodcock. 

 Migratory as a rule, but resident dur- 

 ing mild winters. They begin to breed 

 very early and on the nest are exceed- 

 ingly tame. They frequent low wet 

 woodlands, and except for the flies and 

 hot weather make very enjoyable shoot- 

 ing in July, the more so from the fact 

 of their being the only game to shoot at 

 the time. Their flight when flushed is 

 rapid, but after flying a few yards they 

 will drop. They cau be flushed several 

 times before taking a longer tight. 



Many Woodcock are killed by flying 

 against telegraph wires; several times 

 I have fouud them on the ground be 

 tween the uoles. 



In the spring while mating they have 

 a curious way of ascending in -the air, 

 uttering a peculiar note at the time. 

 One moonlight night in March while I 

 was after Muskrats I heard the Wood- 

 cock all about me, and at times they 

 would alight on the sandy soil within a 

 few yards of me. 



Oallinago delicata, Wilson's Snipe, 

 Jack Snipe. The Jack Snipe is a com- 

 mon spring and fall migrant, most 

 abundant in the spring. 



When flushed they utter a peculiar 

 note reseuibling scaip, scaip, and the 

 tirst few yards of their flight is zig-zag, 

 making a difficult shot at the time. 



They are found in the river marshes 

 and in wet jieadows, seldom where 

 there are trees. Sometimes when 

 abundant, dozens will flush at the x-e- 



