176 NOTES ON NOVA SCOTIA N ZOOLOGY — PIERS. 



did not pass our locality until March lOtli. During the after- 

 noon of that day no less than ten very large flocks were seen 

 within a short interval of time. Last year (1891) I noted the 

 species on March 11th : in 1890, on March 17th ; and in 1889, on 

 March 8th. According to this, the average date of their first 

 passage is about March 11th. 



Green Heron (Ajxlea virescens). This is an uncommon 

 species in our avifauna. Mr. W. A. Purcell, taxidermist of Hali- 

 fax, obtained a specimen from Lawrencetown about April 20th, 



1890, and shortly before the 15th of November, 1891, Mr. Arthur 

 P. Silver was equally fortunate. 



Black-crowned Night Heron ( Nyctlcorax vydicorax 

 ncevius). Only July 4th, 1889, Mr. Harry E. Austen, of 

 Dartmouth, obtained a specimen of this rare wader, in full 

 breeding plumage, at Cole Harbour, Halifax County. 



Virginia Rail (Rallus virginianus). Rare in Nova Scotia. 

 Mr. Purcell "set up" one which had been shot in the Province in 

 November, 1890. 



Red Phalarope (Crymophilus fulicarius). On June 10th, 



1891, Mr. H. E. Austen obtained one of these uncommon summer 

 visitors from a couple of fishermen wdio, early in the morning of 

 that day, had rowed up to the bird and captured it with their 

 hands.* As it was alive, Mr. Austen took it home and kept it 

 about a week. An account of the capture appeared in the 

 Ornithologist and Oologisf, Boston (vol, xvi, p. 111.), a periodi- 

 cal which frequently contains notes relating to our birds. While 

 uncommon in this vicinity, I understand it is more abundant in 

 the Bay of Fundy and at Cape Sable. 



KiLLDEER (^gialifeis vocifera). This plover is usually very 

 rare in Nova Scotia, but in the fall of 1888 a flight of large size 

 was driven northward by a severe storm and for a while the 

 bir-ds were numerous along' our shore. Dr. Arthur P. Chad- 

 bourne, who made a special study of the movements of this 

 flock, and contributed his views to The Auk for July, 1889, con- 



* Accordinjr to Mr. Austen, the fishermen called it a " Gale Bird ;" but as in Chamberlain's 

 recent revision of Nuttall's Ornithologry I find "Whale Bird" given as one of the vernaculars of 

 this species, I am led to think that the similarity of sounds may have caused Mr. Austen to mii- 

 take the name by which his informers knew it. 



