x "' l .M:i XX | Nichols, Notes on Offshore Birds. 505 



We were disappointed in our hope of hearing something of old records 

 of the Carolina Paroquet, Among the present, inhabitants there seems to 

 be not even a tradition of its occurrence in the swamp, which lies well 

 within its former range. 



NOTES ON OFFSHORE BIRDS. 1 



BY JOHN TREADWELL NICHOLS. 



During a number of years past, the writer has had opportunity 

 to make observations from time to time on .sea birds off our coast 

 from Cape Cod southward, which, though fragmentary, yet seem 

 worth recording in view of the scant opportunity of ornithologists 

 to make such observations, and the consequent paucity of our 

 knowledge of these birds. 



On December 21', 1900, he sailed east-southeast from New York 

 on a merchant sailing ship. As the coast was left behind, a few 

 Kittiwake (mils (Rissa tridactyla tridactyla) still were seen daily 

 in varying numbers, the last being recorded January 5, 1901, 

 25° 57' North 37° 43' West, 2360 sea miles 2 east of Miami, 

 Florida, 1350 west of the African coast, 600 further south than 

 the species occurs on our Atlantic coast." 



On January 1, 1905, the writer was on a freight steamer off Cape 

 ( !od, making the trip from New York to Boston. A single Gannet 

 (Sula bassana) seen flying close to the water off the back side of 

 the cape is a far northern winter record for this species, which very 

 rarely occurs as far north as New York in winter. Dovekies (AUc 

 aH< < were numerous, sitting on the water. As the steamer's bow 

 approached, they would sometimes (hitter along the surface, then 

 dive below it and swim off rapidly, using their short wings as 



i 'Die tirsi part of this paper was read before the xuuall Ornithological Club. 

 * Distances throughout this paper are approximate, in sea miles. 

 •See Bennett, Bird-Lore, V 1 1 1 . 1906, i>. '.hi. 

 The theory thai the same Individual sea birds, Gulls, Albatrosses, or Petrels, 

 follow a ship 'lay after day, is in the writer's opinion fallacious. 



