Vol. xiii"i ^ , , rj 



r8g6 J General Notes. h j 



Ornithologisches Jahrbuch, VI, Hefte 5 and 6, Sept.-Dec, 1895. 



Ornithologisches Monatsbefichte, III, Nos. 10-12, Oct.-Dec., 1S95. 



Ottawa Naturalist, The, IX, Nos. 7-9, Oct.-Dec, 1S95. 



Our Animal Friends, XXIII, Nos. 1-4, Sept.-Dec, 1895. 



Proceedings Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Part ii, April-Sept., 18915. 



Proceedings California Acad. Sci., 2d Ser. Vol. V, pt. 1, 1895. 



Proceedings and Transactions of the Nova Scotian Inst. Sci. VIII, 

 1895. 



Records of the Australian Museum, II, No. 6, 189^. 



Shooting and Fishing, XVIII, Nos. 22-26; XIX, Nos. 1-10, 1S95. 



Transactions of the Wisconsin Acad. Science, Arts and Letters, X. 

 1895. 



Zoologist, The, 3d Ser., MX. Nos. 225-228, Sept.-Dec, 1S95. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



Do Young Loons eat Fresh-water Clams? — On July 5, 1S95, while 

 paddling with my brother along the northern end of Lake Utopia, in the 

 Province of New Brunswick, we saw near our canoe a young water bird 

 which by its size and actions- and especially by the cries of its parents near 

 by, was proven to be a young Loon, the Great Northern Diver (Urinator 

 imber). Wishing to examine it more closely we chased, and in spite of 

 its game efforts to escape, caught it. When near bv we noticed something 

 hanging to its bill which plainly much retarded its movements and which 

 proved to be a fresh -water clam or mussel of two inches in length. 

 Closer observation after the bird was carried ashore showed that nearly 

 all of its lower bill was gone and that its tongue was caught between the 

 tightly-closed valves of the still-living mollusk, and was the means of 

 attachment of the one to the other. I cut the tongue close to the shell 

 and released the bird which went splashing and diving away to rejoin its 

 parents, though without tongue or lower bill it could scarcely have 

 survived for long. I broke the clam-shell and inside found the missing 

 bill with the remainder of the tongue attached. The ragged end of the 

 bill made it seem plain that having been thrust into the gaping shell, 

 which promptly and firmly closed, it had been wrenched and torn off 

 by the efforts of the bird to free itself, but the tongue yielding elastically 

 to the strains did not give way. The Loon was a very young one in 

 the downv stage with pin-feathers just appearing in the wings. The 

 mussel and bill I now have, preserved for the inspection of the curious. 



