176 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



County Records. — Cumberland; rare, (Brock). Knox; rare in summer, 

 (Rackliff). Sagadahoc; quite rare, one taken October 25, 1896, (Spinney). 

 Washington; rare, (Boardman). York; received one in 1902 which was 

 taken in Biddeford, (Lord). 



While specimens of this bird are taken occasionally we are 

 not warranted in regarding it as rather than a mere straggler 

 to our Maine coast, its proper habitat being south of our 

 limits. They breed commonly along the Gulf Coast of Florida, 

 laying the eggs in May and June, and breeding in what might 

 be termed a loosely aggregated colony sometimes numbering 

 hundreds of individuals. They breed not rarely on Cobb's 

 Island, Virginia, concealing their nests in the tall grass of the 

 salt marshes. 



The nest is a mere grass lined depression in the ground but 

 usually concealed in the grass or other vegetation. Four eggs 

 from Long Island, South Carolina, May 25, 1895, were in a 

 nest on a sand hill placed in a bunch of wild oats. These eggs 

 were dark olive brown with marks and toward the larger end 

 heavy blotches of umber brown and black and washings of 

 lilac. Another type of eggs has a greenish white ground color 

 with similar markings. These measure 2.06 x 1.50, 2.05 x 

 1.50, 2.10 X 1.50, 2.12 x 1.54. 



When with eggs or more especially young these birds are 

 very noisy and persistent, hovering about with the incessantly 

 repeated cry sounding like "willy-will-willy." They frequent 

 beaches and marshes, feeding on various worms and insects. 



Genus PAVONCELLA Leach. 



260. Pavoncella pugnax (Linn.). RuiF; Reeve. 



Plumage of adult male : a large ruff around neck of varying colors, being 

 chestnut, glossy black, whitish or ochraceous, and a cape of glossy black, 

 ochraceous, or whitish ; the colors of cape and ruff being exceedingly vari- 

 able, either plain, streaked or barred ; three outermost tail feathers plain, 

 the rest barred; varied black, buff and gray above with oblique bars on 

 scapulars and tertials ; sides of rump white. Plumage of adult female : no 

 ruff or cape ; barred with blackish, buff, white and rusty ; belly and lower 



