544 General Notes. [^"^l 



number of small ponds and streams. For the first few years after their 

 introduction into the park, these Mallards were kept in confinement for a 

 portion of the time, and wandered at pleasure only when their wings were 

 cUpped, but during later years they or their descendants have been free to go 

 and come as they pleased, with undipped wings. Many of these ducks 

 have bred in the park, and others have disappeared in the spring and re- 

 appeared in the autumn in increasing numbers. Last winter, at one time, 

 the park contained between sixty and seventy of these ducks. This year 

 and last several nests of Mallards have been found in the vicinity of Spring- 

 field, but a number of miles from the park. In former years this species 

 of duck was not known to breed in Massachusetts, although it was a regular 

 migrant in the western part of the state, appearing in spring and autumn on 

 the waters of the Connecticut river and its tributaries in more or less num- 

 bers. 



Florida cserulea.— On the twenty-second day of July, of the present 

 year, a Little Blue Heron, in its white plumage was captured in West 

 Springfield. 



Ixobrychus exilis. — On the seventeenth day of last June a nest of a 

 Least Bittern, containing four eggs, was found in Longmeadow. This is 

 the only record of the nesting of this species in the vicinity of Springfield. 



Corvus ossifragus. — On the tenth of last April a Fish Crow was seen 

 in Forest Park in Springfield. Only on very rare occasions do representa- 

 tives of this species of bird come up the Connecticut valley as far as this 

 point. While the bird in question was not taken, a very close inspection 

 was had, and the observers were guided to the vicinity of the bird by the 

 easily identified notes that it uttered. 



Icterus galbula. — In the latter part of last autumn a Baltimore Oriole 

 appeared in a thickly settled residential portion of Springfield, and re- 

 mained in that vicinity until the latter part of December, an interesting 

 sight to many observers. — Robert O. Morris, Springfield, Mass. 



West Virginia Notes. — Bonasa umbellus umbellus. — While on an 

 observation trip in the Rich Mountains of West Virginia, May 15 to 18, 

 1914, Mr. Orr R. King saw several Ruffed Grouse with their young. In 

 the spruce forests of those mountains and in the ' cut-over ' areas these 

 fine game birds are still quite common. In many parts of our state the 

 Ruffed Grouse is becoming rare. 



Cathartes aura septentrionalis. A few years ago the Turkey Vul- 

 ture was abundant in all the interior region of West Virginia. Now it has 

 become quite rare in the central hill region of the state, but is common east 

 of the mountains. 



Dryobates villosus villosus.— During the first week of June, 1914, with 

 two assistants, I made a trip to the Cranberry Glades, at the head-waters of 

 the Cranberry River. This is a region of unusual interest as may be seen 

 by some of the notes that follow. Among the Woodpeckers to be found in 

 the great forests and the ' cut-over ' areas the Hairy Woodpecker was by 



