234 General Notes. [April 



two at 3 p. M., one between three and four, and five diirinq the following 

 liour, the last being in lat. 43^^ 25', or 27 miles N. E. by E. half E. from 

 the point of first observation. All were flving E. bv N. 



The following morning, May 26, observations were commenced at tovir 

 o'clock, but no Phalaropes were seen until 5 a. m. when small bunches, 

 estimated to contain, in all, twenty-five birds passed, flying E. by S. A 

 single pair was seen at i p. m., and ten were recorded at two o'clock. 

 Single birds were noted at 4 and 6 p.m., and an estimated number of 

 thirty was recorded at the end of the following hour. At 8 P. m. a flock 

 often or twelve was heard as they flew overhead, passing south. The 

 position of the first record of the day was lat. 43° 30', long. 68° 25', and 

 tiie distance between the extreme stations of observation was 82 miles, 

 the latitude of the latter being 43° 47', and the longitude, 66° 33', or a 

 position 18 miles N. W. by W. of Gannet Rock. 



On the morning of the 27th we were in sight of this island, and as it 

 was nearly calm all day, we only succeeded in passing Cape Sable by sun- 

 set. During the entire morning Phalaropes were seen coming from up 

 the ba<y and flying southerly, or out to the open ocean. They were in 

 pairs, small bunches, or flocks of a hundred or more, but towards night it 

 grew foggy, and we came upon them by thousands, settled in rafts upon 

 the water. When approached they would rise just out of gunshot, fly a 

 short distance, and again settle. These very large flocks seemed to be 

 resting, and I am certain that no migration was taking place at that par- 

 ticular time. We passed Cape Negro very early in the morning of May 

 28, and when my first record was made at 4 A.M., we were 'jogging' off 

 Shelburne, at which place we put in at noon on account of threatening 

 weather, remaining until the morning of May 30. During the morning, 

 and until entering the harbor, flocks of Phalaropes varying from two to 

 several hundred wei'e recorded, all of which were flying out to sea. 



We continued along the coast on the 30th, reaching and entering Liver- 

 pool during the latter pait of the afternoon. Thousands of Phalaropes 

 were seen during the day, flying in a leisurely way and frequently settling 

 on the water. (3n the afternoon of the following day, May 31, a number 

 of small flocks containing from three to thirty each, were seen between 

 La Haye and Sambro Light, oflf Halifax; they were not nearly as abun- 

 dant as on the previous day, and all were hurriedly flying to the east- 

 ward. On June i but three of the hourly records included Phalaropes, 

 viz., the 6 and 11 a.m., and the 4 p.m., when one, seven, and twelve 

 were seen, respectively, all flying E. by N., and not stopping to feed. 

 No more were seen until we passed Cape Canso and were oft" Chedabucto 

 Bay on June 3, when one was seen flying south at 4.30, and three flying 

 east at 5 p. m., they being the last that were noted until rounding Cape 

 North from the eastward, and although I inquired of fishermen at various 

 times, especially at Louisbourg, off'Scatari, at Sidney, and at Inganish, 

 I failed to hear of any except a very few stragglers off" Scatari Island on 

 the 5th or 6th. I questioned very closely at Inganish and found that 

 these birds usually passed that place, but had not been seen this year. As 



