^°' 1916 ] Nichols and Harper, Long Island Shore Birds. 241 



The presence of the species at Long Cove, on the inner side of Fire 

 Island Beach, at so early a date in the spring, was probably accounted for 

 by a gale that had been blowing for a day or so previously. The wind was 

 strong out of the northwest at dawn, when we looked out from the window 

 of a bayman's shanty and spied two small snipelike birds swimming among 

 the ripples in an indentation of the shore several yards away. A few 

 moments later, having hastened forth with cameras and field-glasses, we 

 found one of the birds feeding along the outskirts of a large floating bed 

 of eel-grass in the cove. It swam easily back and forth, sometimes clamber- 

 ing over a bunch of eel-grass in its way; and though we advanced in the 

 open nearer and nearer, it appeared much more interested in securing its 

 breakfast than in watching our motions. When pressed too closely, 

 however, it gave a jerky, half-petulant little note, pip. Several times, too, 

 it took wing for a short distance, but was readily approached again. Once, 

 while being photographed, the bird was directly between the two observers, 

 barely out of arm's reach (Plate VIII). 



During the southward movement of shore birds in August, one occasion- 

 ally finds a Northern Phalarope among the meadows along the south shore. 

 Floating water-weed is a favorite place for the birds to alight. They walk 

 about over it or swim across bits of open water indifferently. Most of 

 these birds are in the dark immature plumage, and very confiding, appar- 

 ently knowing nothing of man. On taking wing, they utter a chipping 

 note suggesting somewhat th^t of the Sanderling. An adult bird observed 

 on August 21 had the plumage already very gray. 



On August 16, 1913, a single Northern Phalarope was observed to flutter 

 down to the surface of a small pond-hole in the marsh back of the beach 

 near Mastic. It sat on the water like a little duck, and presently crouched 

 on a lump of bog, where two Oxeyes crowded beside it, there being scarcely 

 room for all three birds. It seemed to have considerable attraction for 

 several Oxeyes that were flying about, for they stooled to it nicely, even 

 when it was swimming where they could not alight. Though flushed more 

 than once, it returned always to the same vicinity. In flight its blackish 

 upper surface, with the white stripe near the posterior edge of the wing, 

 was striking. 



On the 28th and again on the 30th of August, 1915, two birds were 

 observed on the water-weed which carpeted a considerable portion of the 

 surface of a shallow cove in the marsh back of the beach at Mastic. On 

 each date it was doubtless the same two individuals, which had found a 

 congenial spot and were lingering there. As they moved about, their 

 manner of snapping up food reminded one of the Spotted Sandpiper. 



Macrorhamphus griseus griseus. Dowitcher; Do witch. — Though 

 formerly abundant, and still usually referred to as a common transient 

 visitant, this is one of the shore birds whose numbers on Long Island have 

 shown a very marked decrease in the last fifty years. At present it is a 

 regular but scarcely common migrant along the south shore. The bulk of 

 the spring migration takes place in May, extreme dates being April 19 



