THE OOLOGIST. 



97 



■port of a guu, cii'cle all around utter- 

 ing their peculiar note, and then scatter 

 Jill over the marsh. As the Snipe is 

 •often very wild and Hushes against the 

 wind the best plan is to hunt them with 

 the wind, so in I'isiug ihey will give a 

 closer shot. They feed like the Wood- 

 cock by thrusting the bill into the mud. 



Macrorhamphus griseits, Dowiteher, 

 •Gray-back Snipe. The Gray-back, as 

 it is generally called, used to be verj' 

 abundant and in large flocks, being 

 found in the marshes and on the mud 

 flats along our sea coast; of late years 

 they have been scarce. They are un- 

 suspecting birds and readily decoy. 

 After having several shots tired into 

 their midst they can be immediately 

 whistled back again to the decoys. 

 They are migratorj', most abundant 

 during May and August. 



Tringa canutits, Knot, Robin-breast 

 Snipe, Robin Snipe. The Robin-breast 

 is at times abundant along the coast 

 ■during the spring and fall migrations, 

 generally being killed on the ocean 

 side of the beach, they, as a rule, keep- 

 ing along the surf. They are a hand- 

 some bird, and in my opinion the finest 

 •of our shore birds lor the table. 



Tringa alpina pacijica. Red-backed 

 Sandpiper. The Black-breast, as it is 

 often called, is smaller than many of 

 the other shore birds, but is generally 

 bagged when it comes to the decoys, 

 spring and fall migrant. 



Limosafcdoa, Marbled Godwit. Mi- 

 grant; usually called Straight-billed 

 Curlew. Shot on the marshes along 

 the coast. 



Totnnus meZanoZe«c?/.s,GreaterYellow- 

 legs. Yellow-leg Plover, etc. Au abundant 

 migrant in our salt water marshes, 

 sometimes taken far inland. August 

 26, 1893, I saw one at Loch Raven, 

 twelve miles from Baltimore. They 

 decoy well and ai'e good eating. 



TotinusJiavipcs,Ye\\ovi-\egs. Spring 

 and fall migrant. It is often called 

 Little Yellow-leg Plover. More of an 



inland bird than the larger species, and 

 is often killed on our fresh water 

 marshes. During August 1893, about a 

 dozen remained for some time at Lake 

 Roland, Baltimore Co. 



Syviphemia semipulmata , Willet. The 

 Willet is a summer visitor, and breeds 

 in the marshes along our coast near 

 OceanCit3\ While shooting other shore 

 birds in the spring, the Willet should 

 be spared and is to a great extent. 

 In August they make tine sport, de- 

 coying readily. They are shot both on 

 the sea-side and in the marshes. 



Wm. H. Fishek, 

 Baltimoi'e, Md. 

 [Concluded cext month.] 



Western New York Naturalists" Association. 



A special meeting of the Western 

 New York Naturalists' Association Avill 

 be held iu the rooms of the Y. M. C. A. 

 Building. Cor. Court and St. Paul Sts., 

 Rochester, N. Y., March 17, 1894. 



The business meeting will be called 

 at 1 p. m., sharp, at which all active 

 members are urgently requested to be 

 present. From 3 to 5 p. m. the rooms 

 will be open to the public for the exam- 

 ination of exhibitions of specimens. At 

 8 p. m. there will be a public meeting 

 for the presentation and discussion of 

 scientitic papers on diflerent branches 

 of natural science. It is earnestly re- 

 quested that all members be present, 

 and contribute, as far as possible, to- 

 wards making this meeting one of great 

 interest to all. 



All out-siders interested in natural 

 science, are cordially invited to be pi'es- 

 ent and contribute to the presentation 

 and discussion of papers, specimens, 

 etc. All who can be present or contri- 

 bute are requested tocommimicate with 

 the chairman of the Arrangmeut Com- 

 mittee, stating the title and length of 

 papers to be presented, and enumera- 

 ting the specimens they wnll exhibit. 

 It is earnesth' hoped that large contri- 

 butions will be made to the exhibit by 

 members and others interesteil and 

 that all will come as early as possible, 

 to allow ample time for the arrange- 

 ment of specimens. 



B. S. BowDisH, Chairman, 

 L. V. Ca&e, 

 E. H. Short, 



Arrangement Committee. 



