BIRDS OF MAINE. 87 



Of purely accidental occurreuce, only oue specimeu having been 

 taken in the state. This was taken by Mr, Rackliff, at Spruce 

 Head, Knox County, on August 17, 1882. (Cf. Norton, The 

 Auk, Vol. 11, pp. 78-79, and also in the same connection Cf. 

 Ridgway, The Auk, Vol. 4, p. 256 ; the notes by Mr. Norton 

 give more details of this bird and also corrections regarding the 

 date of capture). 



Genus AGELAIUS Vieillot. 



207. (498). Agelaius pha?niceus {Linn.). Red-winged Black- 

 bird. 



Common everj^where in migrations, while in summer it is locally 

 abundant wherever marshes and cat-tail swamps furnish an abiding 

 place. 



County Records. — Androscoggin, "abundant summer resident" (John- 

 sou) ; Aroostook, "quite coraiTion on Eel River" (Batchelder, Bull. Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, Vol. 7, p. 149) ; Cumberland, "■common summer resident" 

 (Mead) ; Franklin, "common summer resident" (Swain) ; Hancock, 

 "breeds" (Murch) ; Kennebec, "common summer resident" (Gardiner 

 Branch) ; Knox,"sumraer"(Rackiiff) ; Lincoln, (Norton) ; Oxford, "breeds 

 commonly" (Nash) ; Penobscot, "common summer resident in suitable 

 localities" (Knight) ; Piscataquis, "common, breeds" (Homer) ; Sagadnhoc, 

 "common summer resident" (Spinney) ; Somerset, "common summer resi- 

 dent" (Morrell) ; Washington, "abundant summer resident" (Boardman) ; 

 York, "common summer resident (Adams). 



Genus STURNELLA Vieillot. 



208. (501). Sturnella magna (7>m7?.). Meadow Lark. 



A rare summer resident of local occurrence. Its scarcity in parts 

 of the state is partly due to the lack of suitable expanses of meadow 

 and grass land which this species loves to frequent, and partly to its 

 being a typical Alleghanian species. 



County Records. — Androscoggin, "rare migrant" (Johnson) ; Cumber- 

 land, "rare summer resident, oftenest seen in migration" (Brown's Cat. 

 Biids of Portland, p. 16) ; Franklin, "rare summer resident" (Swain) ; 

 Kennebec, (Larrabee) ; Knox, "rare migrant" (Rackliff) ; Oxford, 

 "breeds rarely" (Nash) ; Penobscot, "a pair of these birds frequented 

 the same field in the summers of 1894 and 1895, and their nest was found 

 by some small boys the first season ; outside of this pair of birds I have 

 never seen more than three other individuals in the county" (Knight) ; 

 Piscataquis, "rare" (Homer) ; Sagadahoc, "rare, oue specimen" (Spin- 

 ney) ; Somerset, "rare summer resident" (Morrell) ; Washington, "acci- 

 dental" (Boardman). 



