416 



General Notes. [^ t k 



the commoner forms, while that was individual and quite unique in my 

 experience. This convinces me that two male White-throated Sparrows 

 passed the breeding season here, and suggests that the nesting of this 

 species in Essex County may be something more than accidental. It is 

 not easy, however, to account for the fact that the latter bird was heard 

 but twice. I may also add that the two localities mentioned are separated 

 by thick woods, and that two or three roads intervene. According to Mr. 

 G. M. Allen's List of the Birds of New Hampshire, Zonotrichia albicollis 

 has not been found breeding in the eastern part of that State south of 

 Lake Winnepesaukee. The region about Boxford has a slight Canadian 

 tinge, Vireo so/itarius, Helminthophila rttbricapilla, Dendroica black- 

 burnia:, and Hylocichla guttata pallasii being found there in the breed- 

 ing season. — Francis H.Allen, West Roxbury, Mass . 



Nesting of Henslow's Sparrow in St. Clair Co., Michigan. — The exist- 

 ence of Henslow's Sparrow (Coturniculus Jie?tslowii) as a summer resident, 

 in Sections i and 36, Clay township, St. Clair County, Michigan, was 

 reported to me by an eastern ornithologist in 1900, but as his observations 

 were made from a passing electric car I regarded his identifications as 

 doubtful. However, when Messrs. Swales and Taverner visited this local- 

 ity on June 18, 1904, and found the birds common I determined to try for 

 a set of their eggs. As I stepped from the car on May 28, 1905, and 

 glanced over the vast expanse of marshy meadow land the prospect 

 looked anything but promising, especially as I believed the birds would 

 not flush from their nests but slip quietly away, and this was the case. 

 Five hours of careful search revealed but one nest. This was in a lower 

 portion of the meadow, where the ground was so wet that a foot impres- 

 sion quickly filled, with water, but scattered about were numerous hum- 

 mocks elevated a foot or two above the general level. The nest was on 

 the side of one of these and skillfully concealed in a thick growth of 

 marsh grass. It was composed entirely of fine dry grasses and contained 

 four slightly incubated eggs. As these were warm I concluded the bird 

 had glided away at my approach, so I retired about fifty yards, and after 

 waiting fifteen minutes made a quick dash and surprised her on the nest. 

 She was so startled that she flew a long distance before dropping into the 

 grass. 



Two days later, while crossing what is known as the ' Black Marsh,' 

 in the village of Grosse Pointe Farms, Wayne County, I was surprised 

 to hear a Henslow's Sparrow singing, and soon located him on a weed 

 top. As I made toward him the female flushed at my feet but not from 

 a nest. I could spare no time that day but returned on June S and found 

 the entire territory under water, the heaviest rainfall on record here hav- 

 ing occurred a few days previous. However, I waded over the whole 

 marsh and counted twelve pairs of the birds, and doubtless a number 

 escaped notice. — J. Claire Wood, Detroit, Mich. 



