34 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Norton's prediction in the Jan- 

 uary number, that the Prarie Horned 

 Larks would be found breeding in the 

 state, has proven true, and his anticipa- 

 tion, as well as that of other members, 

 has been realized, as the Editor had the 

 pleasure of taking three specimens, one 

 adult female :ind two voung, at Pishous 

 Ferry, July 17th. For further particu- 

 lai's see October number of the Auk. 



The Gallinule taken at Winter Har- 

 bor, Mt. Desert, Nov. 7, '99, proves to 

 be the Purple variety. 



The summer meeting proved a success 

 for those who were able to be in attend- 

 ance, and a very pleasant time was had, 

 by the few there. A committee for the 

 protection of our shore birds was ap- 

 pointed, to co-operate with the protection 

 committee of the A, O. U. Those ap- 

 pointed were J. M. Swain of Portland, 

 Ora W. Knight of Bangor, and Prof . L. 

 A. Lee of Brunswick, also a committee 

 to appear before the committees of the 

 Maine Legislature, relative to a bill pro- 

 tecting all shore birds. It is hoped all 

 spring shooting will be prohibited also. 

 This committee consists of Adjt. Gen. 

 J. T. Richards of Augusta, Jed Frye 

 Fanning of Portland. 



It is to be hoped that a large attend- 

 ance may be had at our next annual 

 meeting at Lewiston. Notice of time 

 and place of meeting will be sent out 

 later. Let every member make a special 

 effort to be present, and make it our 

 most successful meeting. 



A Day with Some of the Shore Birds of 

 Sagadahoc County. 



ERRATA. 



In Mr. Johnson's notes, in the July No., page 32, 

 the Knox Co. record of the Cedar Waxwing, should 

 have read Hancock Co. Mandts Guillemot, a speci- 

 men shot on Seal Island, and identilied by C. D. 

 Farrar of LeM'iston, and is the flrst record of its 

 occurrence in the state. 



In the Jan. No. the note on the young Loggerhead 

 Shrike should have read Northern Shrike. 



CAPT. H. L. SPINNEY. 



Bead before the Maine Ornithological Society 

 at Bnmsioick, Dec. 20, 1890. 



If we would observe the habits of 

 some of our shore birds we should select 

 some day between the middle of August 

 and the first days of September. 



The feeding grounds of these species 

 are beaches and sand flats of bays and 

 rivers along our coast, which are ex- 

 posed at low tide, and salt marshes by 

 which they are more or less bounded. 



When the rising tide covers these re- 

 sorts the birds repair to high tide limit 

 on beaches or small barren islets along 

 the coast, returning to feed when the 

 receding tide again exposes their feed- 

 ing grounds. As low tide exposes many 

 acres of such ground, the time to ob- 

 serve some of them to advantage, is 

 when the tide first commences to recede. 



They are then hungry and eager to 

 commence feeding, and are not as sus- 

 picious as after their hunger is partially 

 appeased and they have a larger area 

 of flats to feed on. 



To have the area as restricted as 

 possible, we will select one of the small 

 beaches which intersect the rock bouud 

 shore of some ba}', as the rise from the 

 flats to high tide limit is quite abrupt, 

 causing the suiface of the beach- to be 

 exposed very slowly by the receding 

 tide, thus, causing the birds to remain 

 much longer than if a larger area was at 

 their disposal. 



Also, because when the full extent of 

 their feeding grounds are exposed some 



