36 BIRDS OF MAINE. 



Genus ERISMATURA Bonaparte. 



73. (167). Erismatura jamaicensis (GmeL). Ruddy Duck. 

 Chiefly occurs as a migrant throughout the state and is never 



especially common. It breeds in limited numbers in the north- 

 eastern part of the state. 



County Records. — Androscoggin, "migrant" (.rohusou) ; Cumbei'laud, 

 "common" (Brock) ; Hancock, "rare" (Dorr) ; Knox, "transient visitor" 

 (Norton) ; Penobscot, "occasional" (Hardy) ; Sagadahoc, "few fall and 

 spring" (Spinney) ; Washington, "not rare, breeds" (Boardraau) ; York, 

 *'I have a specimen from the town of York" (Xorton). 



Subfamily ANSERINE. Geese. 

 Genus CHEN Boie. 



74. (169). Chen hyperborea (Pall.). Lesser Snow Goose. 

 Of rare occurrence in migrations when they are quite likely to be 



taken in almost any part of the state where there are fair- sized 

 bodies of water. 



County Records. — Cumberland, "taken in December, 1880" (Brown's 

 Cat. Birds of Portland, p. 30) ; Hancock, "very rare, one taken at Toddy 

 Pond, October 4th, 1893, which I sold to Mr. Brewster" (Dorr) ; Kenne- 

 bec, "taken at Hallowell on November 25th, 1881" (Smith's List of the 

 Birds of Maine, Forest and Stream, Vol. 20, p. 125) ; Oxford, in the Auk 

 for April, 1897, p. 207, Mr. Brewster records a specimen taken at Lake 

 Umbagog, Maine, October 2, 1896, by Mr. Charles Douglass; Penobscot, 

 "have one shot at Pushaw and saw one shot at ]Sicatous" (Hardy). 



75. (169a). Chen hyperborea nivalis (i^o?-.s^.). Greater Snow 

 Goose. 



An accidental visitor in the migrations. I have been able to 

 find only one authentic New England record of the species. In 

 view of this I will quote from a recent letter from the owner of the 

 specimen, Mr. Chas. F. Batchelder, of Cambridge, Mass. He 

 says : "In reply to yours of the 14th iust., in regard to my note in 

 The Auk (Vol. 7, p. 284), entitled The Snow Goose {Chen lujper- 

 borea nivalis) on the Coast of Maine, I will say that I there 

 recorded a specimen of this bird which I received in the flesh and 

 which was shot on Heron Island at the mouth of the Kennebec 

 River, April 7th, 1890. It was a female and had been seen about 

 here for three days before it was shot. . . . It is now in my 

 collection." 



