Notes on Animal Life. 85 



writer which is of interest. He states that the Great Blue Heron 

 used formerly to visit the Hats of the harbor, but that he has not 

 seiMi one for several years, and that the Green Heron, which was 

 often observed there, now appears but seldom. He further stated 

 that this last mentioned bird used to nest in Jacob Loud's woods, 

 and that in 1883 a nest was found back of Mr. Keeshan's house 

 near the foot of Pear-tree hill. 



After a violent and long-continued northeast storm in the spring 

 of 1872 a considerable number of Little Auks were driven upon 

 the coast by the severity of the gale. All of them seemed ex- 

 hausted, and they could easily be knocked down with a stick. 



Mr. W. S. Brewer saw them singly and in small flocks of five 

 or six. Several were picked up at different localities dead or in a 

 dying condition. The same gentleman saw two at the edge of the 

 water on Nantasket Beach in 1886, and procured one of them. 

 Thus it appears that this interesting bird may be expected to 

 appear at times on our shores after severe gales from the ocean. 



The Wild Pigeon, formerly a visitor in large Hocks, is now sel- 

 dom seen. A pair came into the hen-yard on Mr. J. R. Brewer's 

 farm about four years ago, and not far from that time a small 

 number were seen upon a tree on Summer Street. 



The Carolina Pigeon, or Turtle-Dove, is rarely met with in 

 Massachusetts, but it has been seen in Hingham at least twice 

 within two or three years, once by Mr. Israel Whitcomb in the 

 southern part of the town, and once by Mr. W. S. Brewer, near 

 Martin's Lane. 



As in the case of the Turtle-Dove, the Indigo Bird, though ex- 

 ceedingly rare, has been seen within a year or two both hy Mr. 

 Israel Whitcomb in the southern part of the town, and by Mr. 

 W. S. Brewer at Martin's Well. 



The last bird to.be noticed is the Scarlet Tanager. Though 

 rarely seen, this very beautiful species unquestionably nests and 

 breeds every year in Hingham. Choosing generally its abode in 

 some deep forest away from the habitations of man, it is but 

 seldom exposed to observation, as its shyness makes it cautious 

 when visitors approach its precincts. There is exception to this 

 when the young first leave the nest. The male then seems to 

 lose all fear for himself in his solicitude to protect and to supply 

 food for the young, which he does with the utmost assiduity. On 

 this point the writer will quote some remarks from Nuttall, the 

 celebrated ornithologist : • — 



" So attached to his new interesting brood is the Scarlet Tana- 

 ger that he has been known at all hazards to follow for half a 



