226 General Notes. [April 



The Blue Goose (Chen caerulescens (Linn.)) in Rhode Island. — The 

 Boston Society of Natural History has recently acquired the skin of an 

 adult female Blue Goose taken at Dyer's Island, Rhode Island, by Mr. 

 Sinclair Tucker, November 9, 1912. 



So far as I am able to ascertain this is the second record for Rhode 

 Island, and the fourth for New England.— W. Sprague Brooks, Milton, 

 Mass. 



Occurrence of the Pectoral Sandpiper (Pisobia maculata) near 

 Salem, N. J. — The absence of recent records of this species in the Dela- 

 ware valley moves me to make known at this late date the capture of a 

 male by Dr. H. B. Wharton, September 16, 1905, at Salem county, N. J. 

 The specimen was preserved by me and is in my collection. — Frank L. 

 Burns, Berwyn, Pa. 



The Whimbrel, Ruff, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Eskimo 

 Curlew on Long Island, N. Y. — Through the courtesy of Mr. John H. 

 Hendrickson of Jamaica, N. Y., I am able to record the occurrence on Long 

 Island of these four Shorebirds. The specimens of the two European 

 species were brought in the flesh to the American Museum and are now 

 preserved in its mounted collection of local birds. 



The Whimbrel (Numenius phceopus), which proved on dissection to be 

 a male, was shot by Mr. S. M. Van Allen, of Jamaica, Long Island, at 

 Gilgo Inlet, Great South Bay, south of Amityville, on Sept. 4, 1912. It 

 was in the company of two Hudsonian Curlews. This appears to be the 

 first record of the Whimbrel for the United States. According to the 

 A. O. U. Check-List, it is of occasional occurrence in Greenland and has 

 been taken once in Nova Scotia. 



The Ruff (Machetes pugnax), an immature male judging by size and plum- 

 age, was collected by Mr. Hendrickson near Freeport on September 26, 

 1914. It was alone and was attracted to the decoys by imitations of the 

 calls of Yellowlegs and Robin Snipe. There are numerous North American 

 records for this species, including two previous Long Island captures. 



Mr. Hendrickson states that during the past half-dozen years he has 

 collected three Buff-breasted Sandpipers (Tryngiles subruficollis) near 

 Freeport, and could have secured another one the past season. 



Regarding the Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) Mr. Hendrickson 

 writes: " When I was on the meadows two years ago last September I 

 saw two birds which I believe were Esquimo Curlews. As we were aboard 

 the boat getting it ready to leave, these birds flew within about twenty-five 

 yards of us, and I had a good opportunity to observe them closely. They 

 were not the Hudsonian Curlew, commonly called " Jacks "; they were 

 much smaller and less wary than the latter. I know the Esquimo Curlew, 

 having shot several specimens a number of years ago, and at the time I 

 told my friend that was what I believed these birds were." — W. De W. 

 Miller, American Museum of Natural History, New York City. 



