I ?6 Brewster, Rare Massac/iiisc/is Birds. F April 



mature plumage. He received it in the flesh November 26, 1897. 

 It was taken a few days before tliis date at Plymouth, Massachu- 

 setts. Mr. Paul W. Gifford who shot the bird reported that it came 

 in alone to his decoys and that it appeared to be very weak. Mr. 

 Clark on skinning it found that it was so thin as to be almost 

 emaciated. I saw it soon after it was mounted and Mr. Clark 

 attempted to purchase it for me but Mr. Gifford would not then 

 part with it. He placed it on a desk in his office in Boston where 

 the rats got at it and ate off both its feet with most of the legs and 

 a part of one wing. In this mutilated condition the bird has just 

 come into my possession. Save for the injuries just mentioned 

 it is a remarkably handsome specimen. 



Clapper Rail {Ra/Iiis c?-cpifans). — I am still further indebted 

 to Mr. Clark for a finely mounted specimen of the Clapper Rail 

 which has an interesting history. It was taken November 30, 

 1895, at East Orleans, Massachusetts, by Mr. John Greenough 

 Rodgers who started it on the edge of a marsh during a snow 

 storm. It flew a short distance and plunged into a snow bank, 

 Mr. Rodgers, seeing the hole by which it had entered, thrust in 

 his hand and pulled it out. He sent it to a Mr. Seaver who kept 

 it alive for a day or two. It ate at first but finally refused all food 

 and died, when Mr. Seaver took it to Mr. Clark who found it much 

 emaciated. It is a male, quite typical of the form crepitans., and in 

 fresh and remarkably perfect autumn plumage. 



American Oyster-catcher {^HcBinatopus palliatus). — Mr. 

 Charles A. Hardy of Auburndale, Massachusetts, has very gen- 

 erously contributed to my New England collection an adult male 

 Oyster-catcher which, with a female, also said to be an adult and 

 probably the mate of the first, he shot at Chatham, Massachusetts, 

 August — , 1899. He writes me that " they came in beautifully 

 to decoys and my whistle and were the only ones I have ever 

 seen there," /. e., at Chatham. Both specimens were skinned by 

 Mr. M. Abbott Frazar; the female remains in Mr. Hardy's pos- 

 session. I have an impression that a brief mention of the cap- 

 ture of these birds has already appeared in print, but my assistant, 

 Mr. Walter Deane, has searched in vain for such a record. 



American Barn Owl {Stn'x pratinco/a) . — Although Massa- 

 chusetts records of this owl have multiplied of late, there is per- 



