104 General Notes. [j" n 



of birds had greatly increased. A pair of Baldpates and a female Shoveller 

 had appeared ; there were now two pairs of Blue-winged Teals, and no less 

 than forty Pintails, the males and females occurring in about equal numbers; 

 the Coot was also noted. 



On April 25 the number of Baldpates had increased to eight, and one 

 small flock of eight Green-winged Teals was flushed near the railroad track. 

 The two pairs of Blue-winged Teals and the female Shoveller were again 

 found; twenty pairs of Pintails were noted, and the number of Coots had 

 increased to three. On Sunday, May 5, a final visit was paid to the area, 

 and twenty pahs of Pintails were noted; the remaining birds had evidently 

 passed on. 



Inasmuch as the birds were easily observable from the highway, many 

 persons in this vicinity have commented both upon then numbers and their 

 tameness. The Pintail appeared to be the most unsuspicious species, and 

 the Green-winged Teal the most wary; the Baldpate, Blue-winged Teal 

 and Shoveller were somewhat more difficult to observe than the Pintail, 

 probably because they were usually feeding among the grasses. In no 

 case, however, was it necessary to guard against the danger of exposing 

 one's self in order to make an identification; apparently none of the Ana- 

 tinae paid any attention to the observer, providing, of course, he did not 

 get too near them. Most of the ducks, and especially the Pintails, seemed 

 somewhat stupid, as though their excess vitality had been entirely used up 

 by a series of hard flights or an exceptionally severe winter. Instead 

 of their being continually on the alert for danger, they fed or rested 

 leisurely, apparently quite oblivious of their somewhat unfavorable 

 environment. 



Although numbers of foreign laborers live near the region, no attempts 

 were made to molest the birds, probably on account of the Lackawanna 

 pohcemen who regularly patrol the outskirts of the area. It might be 

 added that the Coots recorded here are the first the writer has ever seen at 

 this season in this vicinity; they are included because of this fact and also 

 because they were on the meadows with the Anatinae. — - Thomas L. 

 Bourne, Hamburg, N. Y. 



Spring Shore-birds in Connecticut. — An unusually heavy flight of 

 shore-birds appeared in Connecticut in the spring of 1918. Not only 

 were the common spring species in unusually large numbers, but a number 

 of species usually rare at this season appeared. The main part of the 

 flight as I observed it at Norwalk was between May 25 and June 1. The 

 following species, rare or unusual at this season, were recorded. 



Macrorhamphus griseus griseus. Dowitcher. — Four of these 

 birds were observed clearly on May 25. They were seen from a distance of 

 about 150 feet, in a very clear light, and with seven diameter binoculars. 

 On May 27 more birds believed to be this species were seen, but on account 

 of fog nothing but their outlines was visible. On May 28 several more 



