Vol 'i906 in ] General Notes. 459 



saw about 40 of the birds. They were in two flocks and flew in such a 

 compact body that it was impossible to pick out a single bird; conse- 

 quently one discharge of the gun brought down seven. Despite the 

 scarcity of records this is really a common species in eastern Michigan, 

 according to my experience. For six years, beginning with 1897, my 

 autumn vacations were spent on the lake shore near Port Austin, Huron 

 County, and here this sandpiper was present in unvarying abundance 

 and long after all other waders had retreated south with the exception 

 of the Sanderling and Black-bellied Plover. — J. Claire Wood, Detroit, 

 Michigan. 



An Eskimo Curiew Captured at Sea. — It may be of interest to note 

 that when the S. S. 'Baltic' was about half way between Ireland and 

 Newfoundland, on May 26, 1906, an Eskimo Curlew (Numenius borealis) 

 came on board. To be more accurate, at noon on that day the ship's position 

 was Lat. 49° 06' North, Long. 27° 28' West; the bird came on board at 

 perhaps 2 or 3 p. m. It gave evidence, which was noticed by at least one 

 other passenger, of having eaten within a few hours. Being evidently 

 fatigued, it was finally caught by one of the steerage passengers, and con- 

 fined in a cage roughly made from a soap box. It was fed on chopped 

 beef and chicken, and ate heartily, but died a short time before we reached 

 the Sandy Hook Lightship — possibly from too much food and too little 

 exercise. 



This curlew finds its way to the British Isles with sufficient frequency 

 to be mentioned in the English handbooks as an occasional visitor. — 

 Robt. Barbour, Montclair, N. J. 



Contents of the Crop and Gizzard of a Young Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa 

 umbellus). — The following is the result of the analysis made by the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, of the contents of the crop and gizzard of an 

 immature specimen of this species, captured July 18, 1906: 

 "3 percent of the food is animal, consisting of the following: 

 1 Carabid beetle 1 Tettigoniid 



1 Leptura vibex 8 Camponotus pennsylvanicus 



8 Plagiodera armorieiw 1 Snail 

 1 Pyropyga nigricans 

 "97 percent is vegetable matter made up as follows: 



About 105 seeds of touch-me-not (Impatiens biflora), 22 %. 

 About 1750 seeds of blackberry (Rubus sp.), 31%. 



8 seed pods of violet (Viola sp.) containing approximately 25 seeds each, 

 together with 114 free seeds, making in all about 514 seeds of this species, 



14%. 



About 100 seeds of ground cherry (Solanum sp.), 2%. 



About 462 seeds of sedge (Carex spp.), twelve being in perigynia, 4%. 



2 pods of Juncus sp. with many seeds, 1%. 



