General Notes 27 



Golden-eye. On my way back, as I neared the bridge that crosses 

 the pond, a flock of twelve ducks lit in close to shore on the other 

 side, so I hurried for the bridge to see from there what species 

 they were. I had no more than distinguished that they were Bald- 

 pates when they were in the air again. I found another observer 

 on the bridge, who said he thought there was a Red-head among 

 them. The ducks circled about a few times and finally settled into 

 a shallow pond of small size that lies among the button bushes 

 at the edge of a swampy woods. As I had on boots, and nothing 

 better to do, I decided to see if I could stalk near enough to them 

 for close observation. So through the woods I went, in water six 

 inches deep, and a thin skim of ice in places. Soon I could see 

 them through a thin fringe of button bushes, and about the first 

 thing noticed was a red-head, but it wasn't the right red for a 

 Red-head, and then I "tumbled" as to what it might prove to be. 

 Right then I did the stalking of my life — six inches at a time — and 

 plenty oi time for every six inches, but I reached the fringe of 

 button bushes without alarming a bird. Every now and then a 

 male whistled and all were tipping up for food and having a 

 glorious time. I soon found the one with the red head, and sure 

 enough, his pate was " bald," and then, one by one, his other dis- 

 tinguishing marks disclosed themselves, — the black throat, the 

 vinaceous breast, and sides that looked gray in comparison with 

 the vinaceous sides of the Baldpates. He stood on his head in 

 the water like the others, and the white belly, surmounted by the 

 black under tail coverts, made an attractive picture. To cap the 

 climax he, with a few of the Baldpates, came to my side of the 

 little pond, so close that I could see that the gray sides were really 

 white, with little wavy lines of black that blended into a uniform 

 gray when mixed with distance; and there they stood for a full 

 half hour and fed, while I stood like a frozen statue on the other 

 side of the button bushes and feasted my eyes on Mareccu pcnelope. 



E. A, DOOLITTLE. 



Painesville, Ohio. 



NOTES FROM LAKE COUNTY. 

 Visitation of Pine Grosbeaks: — Prom all reports these birds 

 seem to be the most common of all the erratic visitors from the 

 north for this winter — especially in the eastern states. On Decem- 

 ber 8 and 11, 1918, I found a small company of them feeding in 

 sumac, four brilliant males and four females. Visiting the vicin- 

 ity on December 23 I was rewarded by finding ten in female plum- 

 age, but no adult males. Repeated searches through January failed 

 to disclose any at all. 



