iSSs.J McKinlay, Field Notes from Pictou County, N. S. A\ 



times their food was very abundant, and consisted chiefly of straw- 

 berries, raspberries, and blueberries, which now-a-days are, un- 

 accountably, found only in very meagre quantities, quite too 

 limited to supply the vast flocks of Pigeons which formerly 

 resorted here. This failure in their provisions appears to me the 

 best reason to give for their withdrawal from this section, and is 

 the same reason given by Audubon for their leaving some more 

 southern localities. * 



I can not so readily account for the marked decrease in the 

 numbers of Plovers visiting us. These swift and graceful fliers 

 usually made their first appearance about the end of August, or 

 much earlier in seasons that were wet and stormy, with prevailing 

 northerly gales. The major part, however, usually delayed until 

 the first week in September. 



Contemporary with these heavier flocks, composed entirely of 

 the Black-bellied species, came the Eskimo Curlews, which some- 

 times intermingled with their smaller congeners. The Golden 

 Plover was usually the last of the Charadriidae to depart, staying 

 until the latter end of October. This species was never so 

 numerous here as was the Black-bellied, but both are rarely met 

 with here now. The Long-billed Curlew has forsaken our shore 

 entirely, save a few stray birds which drop in upon us about the 

 first of September, or a small flock is started in some remote and 

 sequestered beach. They rarely venture upon the uplands, as I 

 can remember them doing years ago. None of the family ever 

 visit us in the spring now-a-days ; it is only in their autumnal 

 migrations that they favor us with a visit, and even now flocks 

 are seen passing over the country high in the air and steering due 

 south. I can remember when Wilson's Snipe came here in im- 

 mense flocks, but about a quarter of a century ago they began to 

 lessen in numbers, and now they are far from common. Wood- 

 cock on the other hand, are more plentiful now than they were 

 fifty years ago. When Pictou County was first settled none were 

 found here, and in 1S30 the first specimen was placed in the mu- 

 seum of the Academy. From this date they increased rapidly until 

 about fifteen years ago, when their numbers appeared to decrease, 

 from what cause I can only conjecture. Almost every season a 

 few of this species are met with here in March, when the earth's 

 surface is frozen and covered deep with snow, excepting in a few 

 favored spots. These spots are, however, spied out by these 



