1920 J General Notes. 307 



The species starred were reported in the 'Bird-Lore' Christmas Census. 

 Vol. XXI, No. 1, 1919.— Roy Latham, Orient, N. Y. 



Rare and Uncommon Birds at Branchport, Yates Co., N. Y. — 

 Macrorhampus griseus. Dowitcher. — While I was concealed in a 

 blind at the marsh at Branchport, August 6, 1911, a Dowitcher came 

 on the mud and I had it under observation with 8 power binoculars for 

 nearly two hours. August 13 I saw another Dowitcher at this same place. 

 This seems to be the only Dowitcher record for Yates County. 



Sterna caspia. Caspian Tern. — My first record for Caspian Tern 

 was May 2, 1912, when five of these beautiful birds were around Lake 

 Keuka at Branchport all day long. Two more were seen May 4, four 

 May 6, and two May 9. My next record was two birds seen May 11, 

 1915, and ten birds May 17 to 19, 1915. In 1916 none were seen. In 

 1917 two were seen April 25 (my earliest record) and two more July 15 

 (my only summer record). In 1918 three birds were seen May 6, and 

 this year (1919) four were seen May 2 and two May 4. 



Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin.— Two Pine Siskins were under the 

 balsams in my yard the morning of May 10, 1912. Two more were in 

 the road in front of my house May 12. May 20, 1917, I saw a flock of 

 about twenty-five Siskins in the bushes and on the ground along the 

 "Big Gully" north of Branchport. 



Spatula clypeata. Shoveler. — Two Shoveler ducks were shot on 

 the lake at Branchport, November 12, 1912, and brought to me for identi- 

 fication. 



Sterna hirundo. Common Tern. — May 9, 1913, ten Common Terns 

 appeared on the lake at Branchport where they were seen in company 

 with Ring-billed and Bonaparte's Gulls until May 16, when they disap- 

 peared. May 11, 1915, there were several Common Terns with a small 

 flock of Bonaparte's Gulls and they were again seen on May 25. May 3, 

 1917, two were seen with a large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls. May 20, 

 more than twenty were seen and May 27 there were more than forty 

 Terns on the lake. April 28, 1918, and again May 12, eight were seen 

 with Bonaparte's Gulls. May 2, 4, and 11, 1919, from two to twelve 

 Terns were seen. Prior to 1913 I had never seen a Common Tern on 

 Lake Keuka, but now they seem to be of regular occurrence. 



Ammodramus nelsoni subvirgatus. Acadian Sparrow. — June 3, 

 1913, I saw an Acadian Sparrow in the thick marsh grass at Branchport. 

 I had a good look at it at a distance of only three feet, but after it dis- 

 appeared into the grass I was unable to flush it again. October 5, 1919, 

 I saw another Acadian Sparrow in this same place, and October 14 an- 

 other one lit in the cat-tails only ten feet away. 



Nettion carolinense. Green-Winged Teal.— November 21, 1913, 

 a trapper told me that he had caught a small duck in one of his traps and 

 that he had left it in a barrel beside his boat-house. I got the duck and 



