1^4 DuTCHER ou Long Isla7id Birds. [April 



ter, of Amity ville, who subsequently sent to me tlie following note : "My 

 brother and I were gunning in partnership; I was at the north end of 

 Gilgo Island and he was about three-quai-ters of a mile west of me and to 

 the windward. A flock of fifteen or twenty Black Ducks came to my de- 

 coys and I noticed among them one which I supposed w^as a Pintail or 

 Widgeon, but as they do not sell as well in market as Black Ducks, I paid 

 no further attention to it, but tried to make the best shot I could at the 

 others. The flock passed on to my brother's blind, but would not 

 come near enough for a shot, although they noticed the decojs. After 

 passing, the Gadwall left the flock, turned back and lit among the decoys, 

 when he shot it. Neither my brother nor myself ever saw one like it 

 before, nor have we ever heard of one being killed around here." The 

 Messrs. Chichester are professional gunners who are well acquainted with 

 the wild fowl that frequent the western end of Great South Bav. Mr. 

 Giraud says of this Duck: "In this vicinity, the Gadwall is quite rare. 

 My first acquaintance with this bird was in 1S34, while pursuing my favorite 

 amusement of water fowl shooting in the celebrated South Baj-. It was 

 flying alone, seemingly wandering about as if in search of companions. It 

 passed and repassed several times outside of my decoys, without approach- 

 ing within gunshot, but sufliiciently near to excite in me a desire for hav- 

 ing a better opportunity to examine it. I concealed myself with great 

 care, hoping that it would approach within shooting distance, as I was in- 

 duced to believe that it would, from the desire it exhibited to join the motley 

 flock which my 'decoys' represented; butas it advanced, it appeared to see 

 that all was not right, and at the moment when my hopes were the brightest, 

 it quickly changed its course, and alighted on a marsh about a half a mile 

 from me. I gave quick pursuit, and after wading through the tall grass 

 and mud, discovered it sitting on a bog, pluming and dressing its feathers, 

 unconscious of its impending fate. Its perfectly neat appearance so en- 

 gaged my attention, that I forgot that a gun was in my possession, until 

 it took to wing, when the desire to obtain it returned, and I brought it 

 down. On taking it up, although proud of this valuable acquisition to 

 my collection, I could not forbear feeling that Nature had been robbed of 

 one of her greatest ornaments. I have since killed a few along the south 

 shore of Long Island." * 



8. Somateria spectabilis. King Eider. — Mr. Giraud says of this 

 species: "This remarkable Duck is seldom seen within the limits of the 

 United States, although I had the good fortune to add to my collection an 

 adult male in perfect plumage, that was shot on Long Island Sound, in 

 the winter of 1839. During winter — at Egg Harbor (New Jersey) as well 

 as on the shores of Long Island — the young are occasionally observed. 

 But the adult specimen now in my possession, and one other, are the only 

 individuals in full and mature plumage, that I have ever known to be pro- 

 cured in the vicinity of New York." f Early in December, 1886, Mr. A. 



* Birds of Long Island, pp. 305, 306. 

 t Ibid, p. 333. 



