'S9''J General Notes. 



119 



about twenty years ago shut off the outlet, thus converting tlie haihor 

 into a shallow pond which immediately became fresh, and as soon as the 

 cat-tails began to grow at its margins formed a very favorable breeding 

 ground for reed-loving birds. The proportion of cat-tails to water has 

 been steadily increasing, so that of the total nine hundred or more acres 

 of the original pond there must be at present at least two hundred and 

 fifty acres of cat-tails. The open water is seldom more than four feet 

 deep (the average depth is much less), and in the shallower parts is filled 

 with Potamogeton. 



The Gallinules were found in such numbers that without making any 

 special effort in search of them fi-om five to eight might be seen in the 

 course of a row around the pond close to the edge of the cat-tails. This, 

 for such a shy, retiring bird, is a large number to see in one day in Massa- 

 chusetts. At almost any point where the fringe of cat-tails was more 

 than a few yards deep, the report of a gun would immediately start the 

 noisy and characteristic outcry of a number of individuals, scarcely any 

 of which, however, would show themselves unless it were by accident at 

 the edge of the cat-tails, or flying across some pool or old tide creek. 

 Although, on account of the lateness of the season at wh.ich I visited the 

 pond, no nests were found and the young birds taken were so fully 

 fledged that they might have been migrants, there is but little doubt that 

 the species breeds there. In fact a gunner who has lived for many years 

 on the shore of the pond and who knows the birds well, tells me that the 

 'dippers' {Erisinatiira) and 'pond hens,' as the present species (together 

 with Fulica americnna which is abundant during migration) is called, 

 first began to frequent the pond as migrants a year or two after it becairie 

 fresh, and that a few years after their first appearance a few pairs re- 

 mained to breed, which they have continued to do in varying but steadily 

 increasing numbers ever since. 



Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides. — A young male of this species was 

 killed at High Land on August 22. The bird shows remnants of the first 

 plumage on the occiput, throat, median line of belly, crissum and upper 

 tail-co\erts. This is the only one that I have seen on Cape Cod. 



Icteria virens. — An adult male was found dead near one of the poles 

 upon vvliich the storm signals are hoisted at the U. S. Signal Station at 

 Highland Light on the morning of September 10. As birds frequently 

 kill themselves by flying against these poles during the night, it is prob- 

 able that this one was so killed during the night of the 9th or early 

 morning of the loth. There was a large migration of shore birds past 

 Highland Light on the night of September 9, Phalarofus lobafiis, Tota- 

 nns meUtnoleticus, T Jlavipes, vind Ckaradrius domifit'ctts being common, 

 while of Actitis fnacularia, Calidris arenaria, and Oceanodroma leti- 

 coi-rhoa one individual each was seen. Up to midnight, when I left the 

 light, but one land bird, a Detidroica, probably D. striata, was seen. 



Mimus polyglottos. — On September 11 I saw a single bird of this spe- 

 cies near Highland Light. The bird was very shy and I was not abso- 

 lutely sure of my identification until the next day when I saw two more, 



