iSgi.] General Noies. 2'^5 



they are considered one of the most reliable signs of mackerel, they 

 would not have been readily overlooked. On the other hand, I spoke 

 the captain of a Prince Edward's Island smack near Cape St. Lawrence, 

 who had seen flocks aggregating as he estimated, two or three hundred, in 

 the Gulf at about lat. 47° and long. 61° on June 5, and another skipper 

 informed me that, while crossing from Bird Rock (the northernmost and 

 eastern island of the Magdalen group), to Cape St. Lawrence, on June 7, 

 he met large flocks of Phalaropes which he estimated at 5000 or more, all 

 flying toward Bird Rock, and mackerel were also seen travelling in the 

 same direction. My last note is of three birds seen on the morning ot 

 June 13, between Cape North and Cape St. Lawrence; they were flying 

 east at the time. 



On May 27, 28, and 30, the centre of abundance was reached among the 

 Phalaropes and during that time there was but a single school of mackerel 

 seen. On May 31 the main body offish appeared, but the great rafts of 

 Phalaropes had apparently passed to the eastward. 



The Phalaropes have a variety of names which are common among the 

 fishermen, those generally used being 'Sea Geese,' 'Mackerel Geese,' 

 'Whale Birds,' and 'Gulf Birds,' the latter being especially used for the 

 species here discussed. A very technical appellation is simply 'Birds,' a 

 term used in connection with them alone and never confounded, as 

 there are no other birds to them except 'Chickens' (Petrels) and Hags. 

 They are said to be very tame at times, especially when south of Cape 

 Cod, but my observations were quite the reverse, as I was seldom able to 

 reach them with birdshot. Some were in the perfect spring plumage 

 but more had irregular patches of white feathers on the under parts and 

 a few had no red markings at all; the sexual organs were not especially 

 active in any that I dissected. 



The Phalaropes, with a few other species, as the Shearwaters, Petrels, 

 and Jaegers, are the characteristic birds at a distance from the land. The 

 period of excessive plentitulness occurred from May 27 to 30 inclusive, 

 and the area covered was about ninety miles broad. Our speed was very 

 moderate and all birds which were seen when flying, pursued nearly the 

 same course as that which we were taking, but passed by us very easily. 

 Upon sighting land the birds became more abundant and I think it 

 probable that the main body of Phalaropes commenced to overtake us 

 on the 27th when off Cape Sable. They gradually' increased in num- 

 bers all through that day and during the following morning when we 

 were off Shelburne. As previously stated, we i-emained in that port 

 until the 30th, and during the intervening time, a strong northerly gale 

 was blowing, which may have retarded migration to some extent, but it is 

 hardlv probable that the movement was brought to a full stop; when we 

 resumed our course on Friday morning, the numbers of Phalaropes were 

 at their greatest, but nearly all had passed ahead before we reached 

 Live: pool at 4 v m., and on the following day birds were rare. — Hakky 

 Gordon White, JVoods Holl, Mass. 



