Vol-^XXIXJ General Notes. 235 



The European Widgeon at Gardner's Island, New York. — At 



Gardiner's Island, New York, on December 3, 1911, the writer, in company 

 with Mr. Ludlow Griscom and Mr. Stanley Ladow, had the good fortune 

 to see two adult male European Widgeons {Mareca penelope). They were 

 in the North Inlet with a great flock of waterfowl numbering approximately 

 1000 Baldpates, and 300 Redheads, with a sprinkling of Buflfte-heads, 

 Golden-eyes, Red-breasted Mergansers, Lesser Scaups and Black Ducks. 

 The Widgeons were observed from a low hill overlooking the inlet, under 

 unusually favorable conditions of light and position. They were watched 

 through powerful binoculars for iriany minutes, at a distance of probably 

 not over 150 or 175 feet, and were most satisfactorily identified. — W. DeW. 

 Miller, American Museum of Natural History, New York City. 



The Pintail Duck {Dafila acuta) in Winter near Portland, Maine.— 



The Pintail, as it occurs in Maine, is one of the less common, and less hardy 

 migrants, of more frequent occurrence in fall than in spring. Although 

 Mr. George A. Boardman, cited it as " rare in winter " ' he gave a differ- 

 ent statement for the History of North American Birds,^ and we must 

 regard his first statement as unverified, according to existing literature. 



The next definite consideration, perhaps was that of E. A. Samuels, who 

 gave its New England status, as " September 10 to the last week in Octo- 

 ber." « 



Finally ^ Mr. N. C. Brown showed that it had been known to remain 

 in the vicinity of Portland, Maine, on one occasion until November 7.^ 



In 1893, Capt. Herbert L. Spinney entered in his private journal, on 

 November 25 the capture of one at Small Point, Maine, and in 1895, Mr. 

 Walter H. Rich secured a pair, male and female, which had been shot 

 February 10, at Cow Island, Casco Bay. One was taken November 20; 

 1901, at Cape Ehzabeth, Maine, but was not preserved. A female was shot 

 at Scarborough, December 9, 1911, the skull of which is preserved. 



On February 15, 1912, in company with Messrs. I. W. and E. B. Pillsbury 

 — both men of long experience and familiarity with our shore and water 

 birds — I saw a Pintail drake among many Black Ducks near Martain's 

 Point Bridge between Portland and Falmouth. This was at noon of a 

 bright day, and with glasses, the markings, its dark head, and crissum, at- 

 tenuated tail and slender outlines, its manner of feeding, rendered both its 

 species and its sex unmistakable. On the day previous Mr. E. B. Pillsbury 

 and game warden George Cushman had seen it at the same place, when it 



> 1862. Proc. Bost. Soc. N. H., IX: p. 129. 



' 1884. Water Birds 11: 514. 



« 1870. Birds of New Eng. and Adjacent States, p. 492. 



*In his Feathered Game of the Northeast, 1907, p. 314, Mr. W. H. Rich with- 

 out specifying time, or place, mentions a pair, "shot in some of the severest 

 winter weather." These birds, now in his possession, were taken in this vicinity, 

 and he has most kindly given me the data credited to him, in this article. 



»Proc. Portland Soc. N. H. ii: pp. 31. 



