404 General Notes. \oa.. 



noticed it on July 14, 1902, in a hay field about a mile from Port Sand- 

 field, and for some days had every opportunity of watching the males as 

 they sat on the fence and uttered their rather wheezy note. Two or 

 more pairs were in the one field, and I could find none in any of the few 

 likely places elsewhere. — J. H. Flkmixg, Toronto., Ontario. 



Notes on the Summer Birds of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. — I 

 spent the week of June 17-22, 1902, in Williamstown and vicinity with 

 Mr. Louis Agassiz Shaw, making some observations perhaps of value to 

 those interested in the Berkshire County avifauna. My notes are supple- 

 mented by the notes of Messrs. Francis G. and Maurice C Blake who 

 were residents of Williamstown during the years 1900 and 1901. 



The weather while we were there was cool and rainy days alternated 

 with cloudless ones. 



Bartramia longicauda. Five pairs or so were found evidently breeding 

 on Northwest Hill, and two pairs on the Vermont (Pownal) line. Four 

 specimens were taken (three males and one female), all adults, but with 

 the sexual organs little enlarged. They were in the upland meadows in 

 fairlv tall grass (eight inches), and when flushed lit on barns, fences or 

 trees. On the 21st, a rainy day, they were heard not only to utter their 

 common call note, but a prolonged wind-like whistle — sounding like an 

 eolian harp — which can best be represented thus : phue-fhiie-pkue- fhue 

 ■phue phiie, pkue-phue-phue, uttered as they sailed like hawks above the 

 meadows, or while perching. The Messrs. Blake tell me they saw four on 

 June 19, 1900, and two June 15, 1901, near Stone Hill. In the first instance 

 they were heard ' singing.' Although breeding in the Western States 

 in May and early June, I believe they do not begin to nest in Massachu- 

 setts until after the middle of June. 



Colaptes auratus luteus. Noticeably uncommon ; only nine birds were 

 observed during our stay. 



Otocorys alpestris praticola. Several pairs were found breeding on 

 Northwest Hill (1000 ft.). They were seen feeding in the roads, on the 

 ploughed lands, and in the long grass meadows. One was heard singing 

 from the ridge-pole of a barn. The song consists of a few notes, 

 followed by a rising, rolling trill, ending with a few single notes. It is 

 unpretentious, but sweet. 



Cyanocitta cristata. Also noticeably uncommon. The only birds 

 heard were on Greylock and in the Hopper, three individuals altogether. 



Ammodramus henslowii. Common about Williamstown, in wet 

 meadows grown up with the steeple-bush {SpircBU tomcntosa). In Nor- 

 wood, Massachusetts, a meadow they inhabit is grown with sedges 

 {Scirpns atrocinctus, Carex monile, bullata, Jlava, scoparia), red-top 

 {Ao-rosti's alba vulgaris, fowl-meadow grass {Poa serotina), and rush 

 Juncus effustis — species kindly identified by Mr. Walter Deane); and Mr. 

 G. M. Allen tells me the white hellebore ( Veratrum viride) was the 

 principal growth in a meadow where he once found them in New 



