2 28 Miller, Cape Cod Notes. [July 



Sayornis saya. — On September 30, 1S89, I killed an adult male of this 

 western species, near one of the High Land farmhouses. It was after 

 sunset when the bird was first seen, and several times during the rather 

 long chase that he gave me I nearly lost him in the darkness. Late 

 though it was, he was busily engaged in catching insects, which heinvaria- 

 bly did by flying directly upward. The only way in which I can explain 

 this peculiar action is by supposing that in the fast failing light, insects 

 were most easily seen when outlined against the sky. His flight, and in 

 fact all of his motions, seemed strong and active, and did not in the least 

 suggest fatigue. So far as I could tell he was perfectly silent; but as 

 there was a high south wind blowing at the time, some slight note 

 might easilv have passed unnoticed. Upon dissection the bird proved to 

 be in good condition, fat, and apparently uninjured in any way, except- 

 ing that the right scapula had, at some previous time, been fractured 

 near its distal end. This injury was, however, so perfectly recovered 

 from, that it could have caused the bird no inconvenience whatever. The 

 testes were as well, if not better, developed than is usual in autumnal 

 birds. The stomach was well filled, chiefly with Diptera, but the heads 

 of a few ants were noticed among the other contents. 



It is unnecessary to say that this is the first record of the capture 

 of this species in New England. 



Loxia curvirostra minor. — On April 24, 1SS9, while hunting in a 

 deep sink hole known locally as Hell's Bottom, about a mile and a half 

 north of Highland Light, in the midst of a tract of pines covering about 

 one hundred acres, I secured four specimens of this species. Two days 

 later another was taken at the same place. Besides the specimens taken,' 

 perhaps half a dozen others were seen. The birds were all found among 

 the pines which in this sheltering 'sink hole' had attained a height of 

 from twenty to thirty feet. For Crossbills they seemed remarkably quiet, 

 and showed none of that restlessness which generally seems so charac- 

 teristic of these birds. They were quietly flying about among the pines 

 and now and then alighting by the pool at the bottom of the sink hole to 

 drink and bathe. They all seemed to be perfectly silent. 



Of the five taken three were females, and upon dissection all showed 

 unmistakable evidence that they were breeding. The testes of the two 

 males were much enlarged. Of the females, the one taken on April 26 

 had just depostited her set of eggs. The oviduct of this specimen showed 

 that it had very recently been active; while in the ovary were three 

 ruptured capsules. Of the two females taken on April 24, one had 

 several much enlarged ova in the ovary, and in the oviduct an egg 

 upon which the shell had not yet begun to form; while the ovary of the 

 other contained several much enlarged ova. 



Unfortunately, after skinning the birds, I was unable to visit Hell's 

 Bottom again in search of nests; but there is little room for doubt that 

 the birds were breeding very near to the place where they were found. 



