i888.] DuTCiiER 071 Long^ Islaud Birds. I 7 I 



which had heen sent to them in the spring of 18S5. It was shot in Mecox 

 Bay, Suffolk Co., and was the first one they had ever seen in the adult 

 plumage. Mr. A. E. Sherrill, of East Hampton, Suffolk Co., shot a full 

 plumaged male May S, 1SS7. It is now in my collection. He informs 

 me that this specimen was shot at Montauk Point, on the ocean, about a 

 mile off shore. It was alone. He adds, "I never saw one of these Loons 

 except in the spring, and few of them at that season of the year. I never 

 killed one just like it before, but have several times heard of their being- 

 shot. They are known locally as Sheldrake Loon." Mr. A. H. Helme, 

 of Miller's Place, Suffolk Co., writes to me as follows: "While crossing 

 the Sound, May 11. 1887, from Bridgeport, Conn., 1.0 Port Jefferson, Long 

 Island, when about one mile from the Connecticut shore, I saw about 

 twenty-three Red-throated Divers. They were singly, or in pairs, or 

 three together. Those •which came near enough to enable me to distin- 

 guish the markings were in immature plumage." 



2. Fratercula arctica. Puffin. — Mr. L. S. Foster, of New York City, 

 permits me to record a specimen of this species, now in his collection, 

 which was captured about December 15, 1882, at Centre Moriches, Suffolk 

 Co. Mr. Giraud says : "It but seldom occurs, and only in winter on the 

 coast of Long Island."* 



3. Larus minutus. Little Gull. — The claim of this Gull to be in- 

 cluded in the North American Avi-fauna has always been questionable, 

 some writers allowing it a place on the specimen said to have been taken 

 on the first Franklin Expedition, while others throw it out entirely. 

 Swainsonand Richardson include it on the strength of the Franklin spec- 

 imen, as follows: "A specimen obtained on Sir John Franklin's first 

 expedition, was determined by Mr. Sabine to be a young bird of the first 

 year of this species, exactly according with M. Temminck's description. 

 We have not that specimen to describe, and none was prociu-ed on the 

 second expedition."! 



Neither Audubon nor Wilson mention it, and Nuttall in a very general 

 way refers it to the United States, but does not mention the taking of any 

 specimens except the one above mentioned. He says, "This small spe- 

 cies inhabits the north of both continents, and was seen in the fur 

 countries in Franklin's first expedition, but does not appear to be at ail 

 common in those countries, and is equally rare in the United States."]: 



Baird, Cassin and Lawrence merely refer to it as follows : "Ilab. Arctic 

 America? Europe. There is no specimen in the collection from North 

 America." § 



Dr. Coues, in his 'Birds of the Northwest,' refers the Franklin expedi- 

 tion specimen to Larus Philadelphia, in the synonyms on page 655, and 

 on p. 658 has the following: "Note. — The Croecocephalus minutus, \>y 



* Birds of Long Island, p. 374. 



t Fauna Boreali-Ainericana, Vol. II, 1831, p. 426. 



J; Manual of the Ornithology of the United States and of Canada, 1S34, p. 289. 



(i Pacific Railroad Reports of Explorations and Surveys, \'ol. IX, 1858, p. 853. 



