222 Bulletin No. 7, 



parts which do not commonly pass the summer in the central 

 and eastern portions of the State. "This, in fact," I stated, 

 " is known to be the case with a few, and is inferred for others. 

 What is needed now to complete our knowledge of the ornith- 

 ology of Massachusetts are exhaustive lists of the birds of at 

 least two localities in Berkshire County one near its northern 

 boundary and the other near its southern boundary. It is to be 

 hoped that not many years will pass before these desiderata will 

 be supplied." 



A part of this interesting field has since been hastily examined 

 by Mr. William Brewster, who spent from June 21 to June 29, 

 1883, in exploring the region about Williamstown and Graylock 

 Mountain, with results of the highest interest.* The breeding 

 there, previously only inferred, of a number of species was not 

 only confirmed, but four not before known to breed anywhere in 

 the State were found to be common summer residents. Gray- 

 lock, in short, proved to be, faunally speaking, " a Canadian 

 Island rising from an Alleghanian sea," in which were found 

 breeding many species not known to nest elsewhere in New 

 England south of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. While 

 Mr. Brewster's brief visit to Mount Graylock has added so much 

 to our knowledge of the birds of the western part of the State, 

 Berkshire County, particularly its southwestern portion, still offers 

 an inviting field for ornithological exploration. 



In respect to the coast birds, Mr. R. L. Newcomb's notes on 

 the Grallae,t based on an experience of twenty years' collecting 

 and shooting on the Massachusetts coast, chiefly in Essex County, 

 give valuable and explicit information respecting the relative 

 abundance of the so-called Shore Birds, nearly thirty species of 

 which are briefly mentioned. Mr. William Brewster, in his review 

 of Part II of Stearns and Coues's " New England Bird Life,"J 

 also takes occasion to correct many long-standing errors regard- 

 ing the relative abundance and seasons of occurrence of various 

 species of Ducks, Petrels, and Shearwaters, based on his thorough 

 knowledge of our coast birds. It is to be hoped he will be able 



* Notes on the Summer Birds of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Auk, Vol. I, Jan. 1884, 

 pp. 5-16. 



t Notes on Shore Birds. Forest and Stream, Vol. XXII, No. 25, pp. 483, 484, July 17, 1884. 

 t Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VIII, 1883, pp. 161-164. 



LAfr, 



