JoxES — Ox Rtkds of Cr-:n.\R Point. 125 



."!>. I'liilnlnla minor. — Woodcock. 



IveguL-ir, ;iii(l eoninion in suitable localities. Its arrival from 

 the south is a .^ood deal dependent upon the weather. If there is 

 little snow duriui; March the birds may be expected b.v the middle 

 of that month (March 30, 3902), but if there is pretty continuous 

 snow they wait until near the first of April. My latest fall record 

 is October 0. 3807, but it is more than likely that this is too early 

 for the bulk of tiie fall migrations. I have found them at various 

 places aloiiLT the sand spit, and feel confident that several pairs 

 breed in tlic denser shrubbery east of the Lake Laboratory, as well 

 as west of the pleasure resort grounds. The presence of these birds 

 is best noted during the mating season, when their twilight court- 

 ing antics and notes may be seen and heard in almost any piece of 

 woods of more than a few acres extent. ]Many of the larger 

 swampy woods are being cleared away and the breeding places 

 correspondingly restricted, Ijut the birds cling tenaciously to the 

 remnants Auit are left, or even nest in the brushy borders along 

 fences if the humidity conditions remain congenial. There seems 

 to lie relatively little hunting of these birds in this region, so that 

 there is reason for hoping that their extermination will be post- 

 poned for long. It is worth any one's while to go into the haunts 

 of this bird during the courting season for the purpose of noting 

 the courting nietliods. The male birds seem to be almost fearless 

 at such times. Near at liaiid one will hear, with startling distinct- 

 ness, "Iizzz-z-z-st, bzzz-z-z-st, hzzz-z-z-st, bzzz-z-z-st." sometimes repeat- 

 ed many times liefore the bird mounts diagonally upward through 

 the opening among the trees with short, whistling wing beats, 

 'launches out over the woods high up, in mazy circllings, upward un- 

 til nearly lost to sight, and far away from the starting point, then 

 the flight ceases with the peculiar whistling noises, and the bird 

 Hoats downward by a crooked ]»;\tli. the while calling in coaxing 

 tones "p clnick tuck cuck oo, p chuck tuck cuck oo, p chuck tuck 

 cuck oo," uttered more slowly at first, regularly increasing in 

 rajiidity until the notes are almost a continuous weedling call as 

 the bird descends into the woods, cease entirely .just as he regains 

 his perch. Almost inunediately he again begins his call "bzzz-z-z- 

 st," and tlie whole performance is repeated. In the chasing flight, 

 wliich is (crtjiin to follow this den)onstration of affection, the birds 

 arc completely lost in the business (?) of the moment, and all but 

 dash iiilo the observer if he liaiiiiens to I)e in their line of flight. 



(lit. (Idlliinifii, (h'lictihi. — Wilson's Snipe. 



'i'olerably coiiinion dining the migrations. It usually arrives dur- 

 ing the last weel< in .March. dei)ending somewhat upon the weather, 

 and departs nc.rtbw ard ne:ir the 10th of May. I have not found 

 many al Ced.ir Toiiit in the nnirshes, probably because it has not 



