119 



Colaptes auratus. Not nearly as common as in Massachusetts. 



'\ Ectojristes migratorius. A dead female was found on Green 

 Island, twelve miles from Yarmouth. It presented no appear- 

 ance of having met a violent death. 



Totanus macularms. Very abundant on all the grassy islands. 

 Incubation generally terminated by the 1st of July. 



t Totcmus semipahnatus. One pair seen. A nest was found 

 by the boatman, containing, as usual, four eggs. This bird I do 

 not think has been observed breeding on the New England coast 

 north of Cape Cod. 



Charadnus melodus. Abundant ; breeding on all the sandy 

 or gravelly beaches. The young were observed running about 

 by the 25th of June. 



Charadrius semipahnatus. Only a few seen. 



t Anas obscura. One pair seen at the Big Mud Island. 



Somateria mollissima. During our stay at Manan we saw a 

 dozen or two of these birds, and obtained two eggs at the inner 

 Green Island. At the Mud Islands they were much more numer- 

 ous. A number of females with their young broods were seen. 

 The largest of the young were about a quarter grown. On ap- 

 proaching them, they dived with as much apparent facility as 

 the old ones, and did not rise till they were at a safe distance. 



t Sula hassana. On arriving at Yarmouth, we were informed 

 that we should find plenty of Gannets on Gannet Rock. But it 

 was with a feeling of surprise almost as much as satisfaction, that 

 on approaching the rock sufficiently near, we first saw the birds. 

 The rock itself is a miniature of the Gannet Rock of the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence, as described by Audubon, and is as difficult, 

 probably more difficult, of access. On approaching it, the Gan- 

 nets were seen to the number of some hundreds, covering the 

 northern end of the summit ; they were quite shy, and had all 

 left the rock before we had arrived within a hundred rods of it ; 

 they flew round our heads a few times, and then gradually dis- 

 appeared. The number of full-plumaged birds was greater than 

 I expected, as, from this being probably their most southern breed- 

 ing place, I had presumed, in accoi'dance with the common laws 

 governing the migration of birds to the colder regions, that the 

 majority would be in immature plumage. The number of brown 

 birds was about one to three of the white, or adult birds. On 



