36 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



specimens. Four pages, a table of 

 comparative measurements, and one 

 plate are devoted to the Puffin and its 

 trans- Atlantic sub-species. Mr. Nor- 

 ton proves conclusively that all Amer- 

 ican specimens should be referred to 

 the sub-species, Fratercula arctica 

 glacialis. instead of to F. arctica, as 

 has been previously done. Birds from 

 Spitzbergen are referred to a new sub- 

 species. E. a. naumauni, which is de- 

 scribed and commented on in the pa- 

 per. European specimens are refer- 

 red to F. arctica. The Spruce Part- 

 ridge of Labrador is .shown to be 

 Canachites cauandensis, while the bird 

 inhabiting Canada, New Brunswick 

 and the Northern United States is a 

 sub-species. Canachites canadensis 

 canace. Two new species are added 

 to the list of Labrador birds, Zenai- 

 dura macroura and Otocoris alpestris 

 praticola. New and interesting de- 

 scriptions of the immature plumage 

 and moults of several species are also 

 recorded, and we congratulate Mr. 

 Norton on his valuable contribution 

 to ornithological lore. 0. W. K. 



PITTSFIELD BIRD NOTES. 



soon chasing a small and rather shy 

 sparrow about the field. A lengthy 

 chase failed to bring us near enough 

 for Mr. Swain's- collecting gun to be 

 effective, and I went after my shot- 

 gun. The bird was soon secured and 

 proved an unexpected straggler, a 

 Grasshopper Sparrow. This was June 

 Sth, 1901, late in the afternoon. The 

 bird sang persistently. The water 

 thrushes are noticeably abundant this 

 season, and all along the pond and 

 river their song is constantly heard. 

 Nesting and feeding grounds abound. 

 but this is one of the less noticed birds 

 and perhaps is considered rarer than 

 it really is. Did not see a single Yel- 

 low Palm Warbler this year, even in 

 migration when they are usually so 

 common. To be sure, my time was 

 mostly spent indoors, but most of the 

 other warblers were seen and I think 

 this species must have been much less 

 common than usual, probably to be 

 more numerous somewhere else. 



Robins are very much in evidence, 

 and more nests have been found than 

 before for several years. 



Bluebirds, too, seem to be rapidly 

 gaining in abundance, both as mi- 

 grants and breeders, and promise to 

 be as numerous as before the great 

 freeze. C. H. MORRELL. 



My remarks in the last Journal on 

 the non-occurrence of the Red-Tailed 

 Hawk were hardly printed before one 

 was seen. A fine specimen was seen 

 at close quarters on May 1st, atten- 

 tion being attracted by a band of 

 crows that were making a tremendous 

 racket whenever the Hawk moved. 

 During the recent visit of our editor 

 we added another species to the Pitts- 

 field list. Returning from a short trip 

 we heard a peculiar sparrow song in a 

 large field near home. The song be- 

 ing new, we investigated and were 



THE MEADOW LARK IN MAINE. 



Sturnella Magna (Lin.) is of rather 

 uncommon occurrence m this State, 

 and perhaps a few notes will not be 

 amiss. I had not, since about 1880, 

 until last year, observed this bird, 

 when a few pairs were observed, ap- 

 parently nesting. This year I have 

 noted their return to the same locali- 

 ties. 



