16 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



freely with the other ornithologists 

 of the state. — Ed. 



An unusual capture, far inland, of a 

 strictly marine bird occurred on Sept. 

 17 last when a young male Wilson's 

 Petrel, Oceanites oceanicxs (Kuml) 

 was taken on Lake Cobbossecontee 

 near Augusta. The bird was evi- 

 dently blown inland during the heavy 

 southeast gale which prevailed on 

 our coast about that date. It was 

 presented by F. G. Kinsman, Esq., one 

 of the cottagers at the lake, to the 

 associate editor for his scientific col- 

 lection. 



Prof. A. L. Lane writes the Journal 

 that a large flock of snowflakes num- 

 bering a hundred or more, is spending 

 the winter near Good Will Farm in 

 Fairfield and that it is a very inter- 

 esting and beautiful sight to watch 

 them as they scurry from place to 

 place searching every bit of stubble 

 or weeds that may promise them 

 food. They were especially active 

 and fearless in the cold days which 

 followed so closely upon the opening 

 of the new year. 



President Spinney of Seguin ad- 

 vises us under recent date that on 

 Dec. 2d he captured a fox sparrow, 

 Pas&erella iliaca, which had injured 

 itself by flying against the light. Also 

 that again on Dec. 17th he observed 

 another specimen of the same species 

 resting in the lee of the buildings. 

 The thermometer at this time regis- 

 tered only fourteen degrees above 

 zero and the wind was blowing a gale 

 from the northwest. Pretty late 

 migrants. 



Fi'om North Bridgeton, Maine, one 

 of our esteemed membei's, Hon. J. 

 Carroll Mead, writes us under date of 

 Jan. 5th that although the thermome- 

 ter is registering 22 degrees below 

 zero he can see from a window of his 

 residence a downy wookpecker bus- 

 ily and effectively cutting the bark 

 from an elm tree in search of his 

 breakfast while in the same tree with 

 him were several i-ed breasted nut- 

 hatches and one white breasted. 

 Surely the rigor of our northern cli- 

 mate has no terrors for such as these. 



The Journal solicits information on 

 Richardson's owl, Ni/ctala fennmalini 

 liichardsoni, (Itonap.) which appear- 

 ed last winter, 1902-03, in Maine and 

 several northern states in num- 



bers sufficient to indicate a general 

 southerlj^ movement similar to that 

 observed in so many other boreal 

 birds. Mr. Arthur H. Norton of 

 Westbrook advises us that the first 

 specimens to come under his notice 

 were a couple of mounted specimens 

 seen about Nov. 22d, 1902, at the 

 rooms of a Portland taxidermist. 

 They had been taken near that city, 

 one of them at Peaks Island. The 

 latest one of which he had knowledge 

 was taken Jan. 16, 1903. Will all hav- 

 ing records of the bird for that sea- 

 son and the present one favor the 

 Journal with particulars? 



It will interest the readers of the 

 Journal to learn that the associate 

 editor while on a late ducking trip in 

 Merrymeeting bay, Nov. 4 and 5, had 

 the rare good fortune on the first day 

 to observe a flock of some twenty -five 

 redheads, two of which he secured, 

 and on the second day to capture a 

 beautiful pair of mallards, duck and 

 drake. These choice birds have been 

 preserved and added to his mounted 

 collection of Maine wild fowl. Both 

 of these species have heretofore been 

 exceedingly scarce in Maine waters 

 and doubtless the recently enacted 

 laws prohibiting spring shooting have 

 had a tendency to increase the num- 

 bers migrating through the state and 

 possibly some may now remain within 

 our borders to breed. A consumma- 

 tion devoutly to be wished. Notes in 

 reference to this from other observers 

 would be of interest. 



A PURPLE SANDPIPER, TRINGA 

 MAEITIMA, IN SUMMER. 



In August, 1902, while Mr. Arthur 

 H. Norton and Capt. H. L. Spinney 

 were making ornithological observa- 

 tions at Metinic and adjacent ledges 

 and islands they saw several times 

 among the thousands of llmicolae there 

 a sandpiper which they were unable 

 at first to identify. 



On Aug. 11 it was found for the last 

 time on Matinic reef where Mr. Nor- 

 ton secured it and settled its identity. 



It was a female Trimia maritinia and 

 showed no signs of ever having been 

 wounded. 



It was in a plumage essentially sim- 

 ilar to that of winter, but its colors 

 were intensified by wear. In corres- 

 pondence with the Journal Mr. Norton 



