104 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



elongated. Plumage of adult male in summer : fore part of head grayish ; 

 white space back of eye; head, neck and upper parts, throat, breast and 

 belly, black ; scapulars margined with huffish ; lower belly and sides white, 

 the latter tinged with gray, otherwise as in winter. Plumage of adult female 

 in summer : whitish space around eye and on each side of neck ; head and 

 neck blackish ; feathers of the upper parts huffish margined, otherwise dusky 

 brown above ; lower parts white. Plumage of adult female and immature 

 in winter : similar to that of summer female but sides of head and the neck 

 white ; scapulars and back margined with grayish ; top of head dusky. The 

 tail feathers of the female and immature are pointed but the central feathers 

 are not so much elongated as those of the male. Wing about 8.40 to 8.80 in 

 male and 8.00 to 8.40 in female ; culmen 1.08 ; tarsus 1.30 ; tail about 8.00 in 

 male and 3.00 in female. 



Geog. Dist. — Northern hemisphere; in North America south to Virginia 

 and more rarely to Florida and Texas ; breeds in Arctic regions. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; migrant, (Johnson). Cumberland; nor- 

 mally a winter resident, many individuals supposed to be crippled remain all 

 summer, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 32). Hancock; common in winter and very 

 rarely one in summer along the coast, (Knight). Knox; winter, (Rackliff). 

 Oxford; rare visitant, (Nash). Penobscot; one shot at East Eddington, 

 (Hardy). Piscataquis; rare migrant, (Homer). Sagadahoc; common in 

 winter, have also seen it here in summer, (Spinney). Waldo; several large 

 flocks in April 1883, (Howe, J. M. 0. S. 1900, p. 28); regular and common 

 from late November to March, (Knight). Washington; abundant, (Board- 

 man). 



This species occurs generally (locally common) along the 

 coast from late November until late March. The few individ- 

 uals which remain all summer along the coast are crippled or 

 otherwise barren birds which never show any indications of 

 breeding with us, and such as have been dissected by me were 

 physically unable to breed. Inland during the migrations 

 scattering individuals are recorded. The eggs are six to twelve 

 in number and pale grayish olive. Seven from a nest of grass 

 lined with down were taken at Myvatu, Iceland, June 13, 1897. 

 The nest was on the ground among scrub birches on marsh 

 land. The eggs measure 2.00 x 1.49, 2.03 x 1.45, 1.94 x 1.45, 

 2.00 X 1.48, 1.85 X 1.42, 2.03 x 1.50, 1.98 x 1.47. 



They gather in good sized flocks, and when on the wing and 

 at play in pleasant weather will take wing and fly in ascending 

 circles until far up in the air, coming down in a quick flight. 



