^°190?^] General Notes. 81 



This is the first definite record for Essex County, although in the early- 

 days this goose is believed to have been a not uncommon migrant. Howe 

 and Allen in their 'Birds of Massachusetts' give only two definite records 

 for the State. One of these was shot in Quincy about 1849, the other at 

 Plymouth on November 26, 1897. 



On August 18, 1907, a young female Wilson's Phalarope (Steganopus 

 tricolor) was shot at Salisbury, Mass., and sent to Faneuil Hall Market, 

 Boston. Here it was identified by Mr. John H. Hardy, Jr., and kindly 

 given by him to the writer, in whose collection it now rests. This is the 

 second instance of the capture of this western Phalarope in Essex County, 

 and the fourth for the State. One of these was taken near Boston about 

 1833; one was taken in Essex County, at Nahant, on May 20, 1874, and 

 one was taken at Nantucket on August 31, 1889. — Charles W. Town- 

 send, M. D., Boston, Mass. 



Rallus virginianus a Delaware Valley Breeder. — In my numerous 

 explorations of the Pensauken Creek marshes during the past four years 

 I failed to find this bird until June. 1907. It was on the morning of the 

 15th that Mr. B. W. Griffiths and I were standing in front of our woodland 

 cabin looking out over the marsh when a Virginia Rail came to the edge 

 of the ditch which divides the marsh here and is used to get our boats 

 from the house to the creek. The bird crossed the ditch and disappeared 

 among the vegetation whence it uttered a number of clucking notes and, 

 to our surprise, there appeared at the ditch's edge four black, downy 

 young rails. One after another they took to the water in the ditch and 

 swam across disappearing among the spatter-docks and water-arum. 

 This was on the Camden County side of Pensauken Creek, N. J., and about 

 seven miles from the Philadelphia City Hall. — Chreswell J. Hunt, 

 Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Florida GalUnule, Stilt and Buff-breasted Sandpipers near Portland, 

 Me., in 1907. — On October 15, a female Florida Gallinule {Gallinula 

 galeata) was shot at Atlantic House Pond, Scarborough Maine. It passed 

 into my collection. Its gullet contained three specimens of Planorbis 

 campanulatus, and its stomach another. In the gizzard were a number of 

 seeds. I am not aware of the previous capture of the bird at Scarborough, 

 though two are recorded from Falmouth in 1894 (cf. Brock, Auk, XIII, 

 p. 255). 



The only Stilt Sandpiper (Micropalama hitnantopus) that I have heard 

 of in this vicinity this fall was taken near Pine Point, Scarborough, a day 

 or two previous to September 26. It passed into the collection of Bow- 

 doin College. 



On September 5, a beautiful male Buff-breasted Sandpiper {Tryngites 

 subruficollis) was taken in Scarborough, near Pine Point. It is now in 

 my collection. Mr. Blanchard Pillsbury who brought it to my attention, 



