2QA. General Notes. [July 



Additional Notes on the Probable Breeding of Saxicola cenanthe near 

 Godbout, Province of Quebec, Canada. — In ' The Auk' for July, 1885, 

 Dr. C. Hart Merriam recorded several specimens of the Wheatear taken 

 by me on the north shore of the St. Lawrence during May and June of 

 1SS4 and 1SS5. Since then I have secured several additional specimens 

 which throw more light on the occurence of the species near Godbout. I 

 shot a young male September 19, 1SS5, an< ^ another specimen November 

 9, 1SS6. None were observed in 1SS7 or 18SS. September 30, 1889, while 

 visiting the Caribou Islands, I saw five of these birds together, but hav- 

 ing no gun was unable to secure specimens. The next morning I saw 

 one hopping around the house where I was staying, and upon calling the 

 attention of my host, Mr. Chas. Jordan, to the bird he informed me that 

 he had noticed a pair of them several times but was not certain of the 

 date when he had first seen them — ■ probably about the end of August. 

 I have since heard that his son shot two or three. October 17, 18S9, 1 shot 

 a pair of Wheatears at Godbout, both exceedingly fat; one of these was 

 sent to Dr. Merriam. Two days later (October 19) I saw a single bird 

 but was unable to secure it. 



Caribou Islands being only twenty miles east of Godbout it is epiite 

 possible that some if not all of the birds observed here during October 

 were the same I noticed there. It can hardly be expected that I have seen 

 all that have passed this point, and several may have occurred along the 

 north shore both east ami west without being recorded, but I think Saxi- 

 cola cenanthe has been observed here often enough, and at dates close 

 enough to its breeding season, to entitle it to a place in the list of birds 

 breeding in this vicinity. — Nap. A. Comeau, Godbout, Quebec. 



Notes on Several Species of Water Birds at Muskeget Island, Massa- 

 chusetts. — Anas crecca. — On March 16, 1S90, I had the good fortune to 

 shoot a European Teal at Muskeget. It was an adult male in full spring 

 plumage, and was the only Teal seen there. The day before there had 

 been a very severe northeasterly snowstorm. The bird's stomach con- 

 tained nothing but a few seeds. These have been identified by Mr. Sereno 

 Watson as no doubt belonging to some species of Ranunculus, most prob- 

 ably A'- seftentrionalis, which is common in swamps and ditches from 

 New England to Florida and Texas. Little clue is afforded therefore as 

 to the bird's last feeding ground. The skin is now in the collection of Mr. 

 William Brewster. 



Tringa canutus.— Two Red-breasted Sandpipers were shot by myself 

 on Muskeget March 19, 1890, but only one was saved; this was a male. 

 There had been three in all, and they were all in the gray autumnal 

 plumage. The one skinned was very fat. According to two local 

 accounts these three birds had been living there a considerable part of the 

 winter, none having been seen before at this season. They were first 

 noticed about the middle of January. They were also seen by Mr. Mar- 

 cus Dunham on Feb. 15. 



Calidris arenaria. — On March 19, 1890, I saw a flock of about thirty-five 

 Sanderlings and shot one from it. I saw them again March 22. I learn 



