78 Gceral Notes. \ ^^^ 



The 1894 Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts. — The 



season of 1894 was unusually dry and warm, with entire absence of storms, 

 moderate, pleasant weather prevailing throughout the entire migrating 

 period, thus rendering it a matter of inclination, rather than necessity, 

 that anv American Golden Plovers {^Charadrius dominicus) or Eskimo 

 Curlews {Numoiius borealis) should temporarily stop on the islands 

 composing the group of which Nantucket is one. As a result but few 

 Plovers did tarry, and no Eskimo Curlews. At Nantucket, August iS, 

 1894, the weather was clear with southwest winds; on the 19th nearly 

 clear with a very light fog during a portion of the day, wind southwest. 

 The first Golden Plovers were observed to-day passing over the eastern 

 portion of the island, headed towards the south. Two flocks were seen, 

 estimated to contain, respectively, fifty and thirty birds; none stopped. 



There was an unusual large area of land burned over this season, more 

 than I have ever known before, which should have proved particularly 

 attractive to these birds as a resort. It was in consequence expected that 

 many would stop which otherwise would have kept on. These hopes, 

 however, were not realized. From the 19th to the 24th no birds were 

 observed. During the night of the latter date, the wind having been 

 w^esterly with some south in it at intervals, a few Plovers were heard 

 passing over the town of Nantucket, but none stopped. Although 

 out almost every day I have nothing to record until the 26th, when I saw 

 four birds ; wind southwest, calm, foggy outside the islands. As near as 

 I can ascertain there are only about a dozen Plovers on the island and 

 only four shot up to date. 



August 29. Wind northeast to southeast, very light. A few Plovers 

 passed over the town last night, and five were seen to-da\-. Also at sun- 

 down eight flocks were noted flying towards the west, the estimated 

 numbers of which were se\enty to twenty in a flock. Xone stopped on 

 Nantucket. The weather was haz\'; could not see otf the shore. 



September 3. The wind came from the northeast last evening about 

 eight o'clock p. m. ; at three o'clock in the morning it was blowing a 

 strong breeze. I saw one flock of nine birds, and another of fifteen ; 

 about one hundred more were seen by other parties who were out. Only 

 three birds were shot to-day, and seven on September 4. 



Tuckernuck Island, September 5. About one hundred (estimated) 

 Plovers landed last night; these are the first birds seen here this season. 

 About twenty of them were shot up to September 10. Nantucket, 

 September 6, I saw a flock of nine bii-ds from which four were shot. 

 September 7 was foggy early ; three flocks of Plovers were seen towards 

 the western part of the island; one contained nine birds, one seven, and 

 one four, and a single bird. These, however, are not new birds ; no new 

 arrivals have been noted. 



September 8, I dro\e ail o\er the eastern inuMit district. A gentle 

 southeast breeze was blowing and the sky was overcast. Here I found 

 several flocks of Plovers, one of twenty, from which I shot five, another 

 of about forty from which I obtained ten. 



