Vol. XT General Notes. §5 



1S93 J 



This Swift is quite abundant here, as is also the small gray-rumped 

 Chcetura. They usually fly very high, though apparently not faster than 

 the Chimney Swift of eastern North America. On cloudy afternoons, 

 particularly after rainstorms, they often fly so low that specimens may be 

 easily obtained. The ordinary note is a <chee\ or 'chee-ee,' rather long 

 drawn out, and at times a 'chee-wee-wee-wee,' uttered in about the same 

 pitch as the note of the Chimney Swift. Wounded birds utter a contin- 

 ual, squeaky, clicking note.-CHAS. W. Richmond, Escondido River 

 near Bluefields, Nicaragua. 



Sharp-tailed Finches of the New Jersey Coast.-While there has been 

 every reason to expect the occurrence of both the Nelson's and the Acadian 

 Sharp-tailed Finches on the maritime marshes of New Jersey during the 

 migrations, there have not been, so far as I am aware, any actual records of 

 their capture in that State. The only mention that I have seen of either 

 race as a New Jersey bird occurs on page 541 of Dr. Nelson's 'Catalogue 

 of the Vertebrates of New Jersey' where it is stated that Ammodramus 

 caudacutus nelsoni is "common along the shore" and "breeds in the salt 

 meadows." No mention whatever is made of A. caudacutus. so the natu- 

 ral inference is that nelsoni is the common breeding bird of the New 

 Jersey coast. This, however, being quite erroneous, Dr. Nelsons 

 remarks must be considered as belonging strictly to A. caudacutus. 



In view of the above statements the following notes based upon collec- 

 tions made by Mr. I. N. DeHaven and myself may be of interest. Am- 

 modramus caudacutus breeds abundantly on the salt marshes from Pt. 

 Pleasant to Cape May Point and probably along Delaware Bay as far up 

 as the salt marshes extend. A few of the birds winter on the marshes at 

 Atlantic City, as specimens have been taken in January and February by 

 Mr DeHaven. These winter birds were extremely fat, but did not diner 

 in pluma-e from late fall birds, and were in all respects true caudacutus. 



4 caudacutus nelsoni occurs only as a migrant, and appears to be more 

 abundant in the fall. A single specimen was taken at Atlantic City on 

 May 9, .892, by Mr. DeHaven, and on October 2 of the same year several 



were secured. . , , 



A. caudacutus subvirgatus was found associated with the other two races 

 at Atlantic City on October 2, 1892, and a number of specimens were shot, 

 'it appeared to be more numerous than nelsoni, but less so than true cau- 

 dacutus. This race apparently winters farther south for. as has been 

 already stated, all the winter specimens so far taken by us in New Jersey 

 were caudacutus. Doubtless more careful search will show the nelsoni 

 and subvirgatus to be of regular occurrence in both migrations.^ 



It mav be of interest in this connection to record the wintering of 

 Ammodramus maritimus in small numbers on the salt marshes of south- 

 ern New Jersey, specimens having been taken by Mr. Wm. L. Baily on 

 February 22," 1892.-W1TMER Stone, Academy of Natural Sciences, 

 Philadelphia. 



