146 



Braislin, Notes on Long Island Birds. LApr. 



ture specimens in captivity ; and a subsequent spring moult (in March) to 

 the bhie plumage, of which I have been fortunately informed by their 

 possessor, Mr. Daniel De Mott of East Rockaway, renders them unques- 

 tionably referable to Ardea coerulea. 



From the present instance, as well as that of their occurrence in the 

 summer of 1900, on Long Island, later referred to, it appears that these 

 birds are apt to occur with us in summer and early autuinn in flocks com- 

 posed entirely of white, or immature, birds. This fact should prevent a 

 hasty inference that any flock of small white herons must h^ Ardea candi- 

 dissima. Furthermore, unless the conditions for observation were ex- 

 tremely favorable, the dark blue at the tips of the primaries of A. coerulea 

 would not be visible. For example, I may cite the fact that in both 

 instances of the occurrence of this species, as related above, the birds 

 secured were described to me by their respective captors as being alto- 

 gether white, without other color, except as to their feet and bills. I 

 should therefore be unwilling to trust to the color of the wing tips as a 

 field mark. I mention these details in order that they may possibly be of 

 advantage to other observers. 



The occurrence of the Little Blue Heron on Long'Island in the summer 

 of 1900 is recorded on account of finding an immature (white) bird of this 

 species in the shop of Mr. Willis of Freeport, which had been shot, to- 

 gether with others, on Hempstead Bay. Mr. Albert Lott of Freeport 

 mounted this bird and confirmed the history of it. Mr. Lott thought the 

 bird was brought to him in August, but of the exact date he was uncer- 

 tain. The gunner who secured this bird stated that there were no darker 

 birds in the flock ; that all were white birds. 



Botaurus lentiginosus. A Bittern, shot at Rockaway Beach, Nov. 10, 

 1900, was found on dissection to have been in life a veritable mouser. 

 The stomach contained the remains of at least two meadow-mice, besides 

 other large pellets of fur, in all respects similar to those one finds in the 

 stomachs of owls. In consideration of the fact that the Bittern receives 

 no protection under the laws of our State, this seems worthy of mention. 



Tringa maritima. A specimen was shot on Great South Baj- by An- 

 drew Chichester, a gunner of Amityville, on Nov. 23, 1899, and sent to me. 

 It was alone, on a bank of sea-weed drift. It is i-are on this part of the 

 coast, where the shore is altogether sandy, with an entire absence of the 

 rocks among which it ordinarily seeks its food. 



Strix pratincola. I am enabled, through the courtesy of Capt. J. G. 

 Scott, to record an additional specimen of the' Barn Owl from Long 

 Island, taken at a point near the locality at which the one I previously 

 noted was secured (Auk, XVII, 1900, p. 70). The present record is that 

 of a specimen shot by Capt. Scott at Oyster Pond, Montauk, Sept. 25, 

 1900. I have not examined the bird; but his graphic description of the 

 ' Monkey-faced Owl ' in question leaves no doubt as to its identity. 



Contopus borealis. An additional record for the Olive-sided Flycatcher, 

 rather later than any of the four specimens which I have previously re- 



