128 General Notes. [j a u n . 



Except in a few places, it has a good depth, and has a steady flow of about 

 four miles an hour. Several large and small creeks flow into the river 

 between Montgomery and Selma. All in all the scenery is exceedingly 

 attractive. 



The Federal Government in its improvement of the river has constructed 

 a number of jetties back of which numerous mud flats are formed. These 

 flats at this and other migrating seasons, afford feeding grounds for all long 

 billed migrants, as well as the residents. Among the latter are the Kill- 

 deer, Spotted Sandpiper, and one or two others which are to be found prac- 

 tically all the year and which mix very freely with the visitors. 



The notes below are contributed in the hope that they may add to the 

 meagre available information concerning these birds in the interior. 



Pisobia minutilla. Least Sandpiper. — Several small flocks and num- 

 bers of singles and pairs of the Least Sandpiper, were seen, and two speci- 

 mens, a male and a female, were taken. These two, with one of the 

 Semipalmated and one of the Solitary, below, were all secured from the 

 same flock. The Leasts were beginning to take on their winter plumage. 



Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated Sandpiper. — Two single speci- 

 mens of the E. pusillus were collected, one of which was from the flock 

 of P. minuitlla above referred to. An interesting incident happened in 

 connection with the effort to get another one. Shooting from the moving 

 boat in midstream at a single, on the water's edge, his wing only was 

 injured. The bird fell into the water, but managed to climb up the river 

 bank, five or six feet, by the time the boat could be stopped and run into 

 shore. It again fell into the water, and on making an effort to take it in 

 my hand, it rose and flew along the surface about 400 feet directly across 

 the river, alighting twenty yards up stream on a rocky ledge, covered with 

 high grass. We noted the point, and on getting there could have easily 

 killed it, but preferring to make a capture, landed for that purpose. Even 

 though we stepped near enough to frighten the bird from under our feet 

 more than once, it was effectually concealed by the surroundings, and 

 finally lost. 



Helodromas s. solitarius. Solitary Sandpiper. — Only one specimen 

 of the Solitary, a female, was noted. This bird was killed, while feeding, 

 with five or six of P. minutilla and about the same number of Killdeer. — 

 Peter A. Brannon, Dept. of Archives, Montgomery, Ala. 



The Black Rail at St. Marks, Florida. — While our section of the 

 country falls within the known winter habitat of this diminutive and most 

 secretive member of the Rallida? it was not until the fall of 1915 that I had 

 positive knowledge of the occurrence of Creciscus jamaicensis. I had 

 traversed the extensive tidal marshes at all seasons of the year and had 

 seen here every other member of the family known to inhabit our part of 

 the Gulf coast. 



One or two fleeting glimpses of a scurrying black form amongst the thick 

 growth of grass and reeds in the vicinity of a pond had at times suggested 



