176 



DuTCHER on Long Island Birds. [April 



9. Olor columbianus. Whistling Swan.— Mr. Giraud sa^s regarding 

 the genus Olor: '-The present species is the only one which I have ever 

 known to be seen in this vicinity."* The first settlers on Long Island un- 

 doubtedly found Swans in great numbers, as did their eastern neighbors, t 

 At the present time, however, this noble bird can hardly be called more 

 than a straggler. November 5, 1886, one was shot in Reed Pond, Mon- 

 tauk. by Mr. George Hand; it was alone. Capt. Scott informs me that 

 Mr. Jonathan Miller shot one about twelve years since while he was 

 keeper of the light at Montauk Point. It was mounted and is now in his 

 possession at his home in Amagansett. Mr. Eugene A. Jackson, of At- 

 lanticville, reported to me that one was shot November 26, 1S86, on Shin- 

 necock Bay. Nothing but the head and neck were preserved ; these are 

 now in my collection. This is the same bird i-ecorded in 'Forest and 

 Stream,' Vol. XXVII, p. 364. 



10. Rallus elegans. King Rail. — Mr. Giraud says of this Rail : "Dur- 

 ing my frequent excursions on Long Island, I have not had the good for- 

 tune to meet with this large and beautiful Rail, and have only seen one 

 specimen that was procured in that locality, which wasshot in the vicinity 

 of Williamsburg, and is now in the valuable collection of George N. Law- 

 rence, Esq." After quoting Mr. Audubon at some length, as to its being 

 altogether a fresh water bird, he concludes by saying : "Hence we may 

 conclude that its occurrence with us is extremely rare."| As it is, like all 

 of the Rallidse, partly nocturnal and extremely secretive in its habits, it 

 is probably overlooked and is more common than it is thought to be. Mr. 

 Knoess, of Riverhead, has a mounted specimen in his collection. It is a 

 young bird and was caught alive on the shores of Peconic Bay. It is the 

 second one that has been brought to him alive. He cannot say positively 

 whether it was bred there, but he is under the impression that it was.§ 



Mr. Squires, ofPonquogue, Suffolk Co., has in his possession a mounted 

 specimen which was shot some years since on the meadows opposite the 

 Great West Bay Light, Shinnecock Bay. It was taken in the summer. 

 Mv friend, Mr. Alfred A. Eraser, of Oakdale, Suffolk Co., presented me 

 with a magnificent specimen in the flesh, which he shot November 2, 18S6, 

 on a meadow bordering a fresh water stream, emptj^ing into Great South 

 Bay, at Bayport, Suffolk Co. He wrote : "I cannot remember of bagging 

 over half a dozen in my twenty j^ears' shooting on Long Island," Mr. 

 Eraser is the fortunate possessor of a beautifully located country seat of 

 800 acres, which aftords him many hours of sport with his dogs and gun. 



March 3, 1887, one of these birds struck the Montauk Point Lighthouse, 

 and was sent to me by the keeper, Capt. Scott. He stated that the bird 



* Birds of Long Island, p. 299. 



tSee Dr. C. Hart Merriam, Birds of Connecticut, p. 120. J. A. Allen, A Revised 

 List of the Birds of Massachusetts, p. 233. Wm. Dutcher, Forest & Stream, Vol. 

 XXVIII, p. 106. 



t Birds of Long Island, p. 210. 



^ See Birds of Connecticut, p. 115. 



