1887.] General Notes. *!'*! 



Occurrence of Calcarius ornatus in Maine. — Early on the morning of 

 August 13, 18S6, while sitting in a hlind on the Little River marshes, near 

 Pine Point, Me., I noticed a small bird flying restlessly about overhead. 

 From its peculiar flight and notes I took it to be a Titlark. Rather surprised 

 to see one so early in the season, I watched it carefully, and, when it finally 

 alighted not far away, I went after it. My attempt to secure it was un- 

 successful, however, owing to my gun missing fire, and it flew off to the 

 other side of the river, where I lost sight of it. Several hours later, while 

 returning by the same place, I saw what was presumably the same bird, 

 flying about from one place to another. Finally I fired at it, as it rose 

 from the grass before me, and had the pleasure of seeing it fall. I must 

 confess that on picking it up I was completely at a loss to know what it 

 was. I did not feel sure regarding it till several months later, when 

 looking over one day, in company with Mr. Chadbourne, the large series 

 of Calcarius ornatus in the Agassiz Museum at Cambridge, we discovered 

 one specimen which matched my bird in every particular. Mr. Brewster, 

 to whom I showed it later, identified it as ornatus without doubt. The 

 bird is of very small size, and, as far as plumage goes, lacks, with the 

 exception of the tail-markings, every sign of belonging to this species. 

 It is apparently a young male, though the sex could not positively be 

 determined. — Joseph L. Goodale, Cambridge, Mass. 



Object of the Shrike in Impaling its Prey. — I see that in Coues's 'Key 

 to North American Birds' it is said to be still a puzzle to know what the 

 Shrike intends by sticking insects and small animals on thorns. The 

 explanation seems easy enough to me, and I give it for what it is worth. 

 The Shrike, like many other birds and animals of prey, seems inclined 

 to kill as long as there is opportunity, regardless of being able to use. 

 The Shrike, not being fitted in claws or beak for tearing, as Hawks are. 

 I think fixes its prey on thorns for the purpose of giving it a greater pur- 

 chase in tearing it to pieces. I have been watching them often lately 

 along the line of the railroad where they make use of the barbs on the 

 wire fences for impaling the large grasshoppers they seem mostly to feed 

 on. I often see them catch three or four in succession, but I think they 

 rarely use more than one, and grasshoppers being so plentiful at this 

 season I do not think that Shrikes ever come back to them, though they 

 may do so in winter. — James Whyte, Houston. Texas. 



Additional Occurrences of the Connecticut Warbler in Maine. — On 

 seeing Mr. Merrill's note in the July number of 'The Auk'(Vol.III, p. 413) 

 last summer, on the status of the Connecticut Warbler in Maine, I was 

 reminded of a bird which I had taken in September, 1885, at Saco, which 

 I had supposed to be of this species. At the time of reading the note I 

 was away from Cambridge, and, being unwilling to send any communica- 

 tion regarding my bird until I had examined it again, was obliged to 

 wait until October. Before that time, however, I had the pleasure of 

 taking two more specimens at Saco. The first was taken September 8, 



