84 General Notes. [-JJ 



Island; he mentions, in addition to the single specimen in the Lawrence 

 collection, four specimens in his own collection, all received from the 

 light-houses in the month of September. 



I shot my first and only specimen in a low second growth tract of oaks 

 at Lake Grove, Suffolk County, on Sept. 20, 1S93. It is a young male. 



Sylvania mitrata. — Since my previous record of this bird (Auk, Vol. 

 IX, p. 306), I have secured another specimen, an immature female, in 

 almost the identical spot in Parkville where I shot the first one, which 

 was an adult male. The first specimen was killed April 30, 1S92, as it 

 alighted on the track of a railway which passes through the woods; the 

 second one was shot May 15, 1S93, as it was feeding in the lower limbs 

 of the trees. 



Mr. Dutcher has two specimens in his collection, one of which he has 

 recorded (Auk, Vol. VI, p. 139); the other was killed at Shelter Island, 

 May 16, 1 89 1. 



Mr. J. C. Knoess, the taxidermist of Riverhead, has one very fine 

 specimen in his collection. 



These, with two specimens in the collection of the Long Island His- 

 torical Society (Auk, Vol. X, p. 277) and two in the Lawrence collection, 

 make in all nine recorded specimens from Long Island.— Arthur H. 

 Howell, Brooklyn, N. Y. 



Stray Notes from Massachusetts. — Branta canadensis. — Ponkapog 

 Pond, Mass., Oct. 20, 1893. First Canada Geese seen in this locality this 

 season; six birds. The next noted were twenty, on the 25th. These last 

 were very tired. 



Larus argentatus smithsonianus. — Oct. 22. A large movement of 

 American Herring Gulls towards the southwest; weather fine and warm. 

 White and gray plumaged birds were noted passing high up over the 

 pond ; one flock of twenty-two were flying in form of a harrow. The 

 flocks varied from three or four birds to forty each. Between three and 

 four hundred were estimated to have passed. 



Charitonetta albeola. — Oct. 30. The first Buffle-heads this season were 

 noted here to-day; no others have been seen, which is very unusual. 

 Three birds noted up to Dec. 1st. 



Fulica americana. — Sept. 19. The first American Coots, eighteen, 

 seen to-day; six were shot. It is an unusually early date for them here. 



Dafila acuta. — Sept. 21. An immature bird shot to-day. 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. — Sept. 22. Eight Fish-hawks passed 

 over the pond to-day. 



Spatula clypeata. — Sept. 25. One immature Shoveller Duck shot 

 to-day. 



Philohela minor. — Oakham, Mass., Oct. 15, 1S93. Mr. J F. Brown 

 of Chelsea, Mass., informs me that in company with Mr. John Stone of 

 Oakham he visited daily the Woodcock grounds in the vicinity of Oak- 

 ham for fifteen consecutive days, commencing on the above date, but 



