Ilo General Notes. [January 



5056 measures: length 305, extent 254, wing 53; no. 5057: length 324, 

 extent, 279, wing 50 mm. 



In the 'Americ:in Naturalist' Vol. VII, July, 1S74, Mr. Ruthven Deane 

 writes: "On the loth Sept., 1S73, I was greatly surprised at finding two 

 immature specimens of Erismatura rubida hanging up with a bunch of 

 Winter and Suinmer Yellowlegs in a game stall in Qj.iincy Market, Bos- 

 ton. They had been sent froin Cape Cod, Mass., the day previous, 

 where they were said to have been shot. They were apparently not more 

 than six weeks old, and as their wings were not fledged enough to fly a 

 rod, they undoubtedly must have been hatched in that locality. ... I 

 obtained one of the above specimens which is now in my cabinet and I 

 have no doubt that these birds were taken on Cape Cod. I have seen 

 specimens taken as far east as Niagara Falls in May; these were in high 

 breeding plumage, though I did not learn that any nests had ever been 

 found in that locality." This appears to be the only record of the breed- 

 ing of the Ruddy Duck in Massachusetts, hence the following instances 

 of the presence of adult birds during the breeding season in southern New 

 England may be of interest, as they tend to show that the species may 

 breed here more commonly than is at present supposed. In Mr. William 

 Brewster's collection there is an adult female in worn breeding plumage 

 taken at Rye Beach, N. H., August 22, 1879. This bird may have been 

 a migrant, but taken in connection with the date at which I found young 

 birds still accompanied hy their parent on Cape Cod it does not seem 

 likely that it had come from any great distance. Mr. J. M. Southwick of 

 Providence writes me under date of October 25, 1890: "Two Ruddy 

 Ducks at hand this past season. They were males in full plumage, re- 

 ceived July 7 and 14 respectively. Each had been killed a few days (say 

 one or two) previous at Seaconnet, R. I. I have another of same quality 

 taken at same place early in July, 18S9. In 1SS7 Dr. H. F. Marshall 

 killed a pair, $ in full plumage, $ not so perfect- They were together, 

 and he found no more of them. My friend Mr. Newton Dexter, who 

 killed the last arrivals, is out of town, so I cannot substantiate my opin- 

 ion, but I am quite sui-e that in 1889 he shot both $ and $ at about the 

 same season." So many birds being taken in this one locality during 

 the breeding season and in successive years, would seem to indicate that 

 there is something more than mere accident in the occurrence, and as I 

 understand that there is favorable breeding ground for them at Seaconnet, I 

 have little doubt that when proper search is made, nests or young will 

 be found there. Mr. M. Abbott Frazar informs me that he has had 

 recently pass through his hands two adults taken during the breeding 

 season, on the Charles River and at Wakefield, Mass., respectively. 



Gallinula galeata.— Among the cat-tails bordering the pond in which 

 the Ruddy Ducks were found this species occurred in large numbers. The 

 pond was formerly a tide-meadow and harbor opening into Massachusetts 

 Bay, or perhaps more properly into Provincetown Harbor, but as there 

 was danger of the Cape wearing through at this point, the Government 



