190 General Notes. 



of Captain McGregor's quartera. He is quite a lover of birds, and has 

 three canaries, their cages hanging against one of the side windows. The 

 little Finch on the roof evidently had heard them singing, and was, at the 

 moment when I noticed him, showing what he could do in that line. He 

 evidently saw the birds in their cage, as every once in a while he stretched 

 his neck and looked down in the direction of the window. Its song was 

 quite varied, low, and sweet, but feeble and without much volume. It 

 was still quite a fair and verj^ pleasant song. I was quite surprised, and 

 listened to him for full five ' minutes. This was the first time I have 

 heard any making an attempt to sing." — T. M. Brewer, Boston, Mass. 



The Short-tailed Tern {Hydrochelidon fissipes) in Massachusetts. 

 — In view of the fact that the Short-tailed Tern has been heretofore con- 

 sidered a rare visitor to Massachusetts, it may be of interest to state that 

 during a week spent on the island of Nantucket in August, 1878, a large 

 number of specimens were observed by the writer. On August 16 no less 

 than eight individuals were seen in the harbor near the town, and several 

 were shot and examined. On every subsequent occasion when the shores 

 of the island were visited small companies of these Terns were seen, 

 sitting on the sand-bars, or fishing among the other and commoner species. 

 They associated most commonly with the Wilson's and Roseate Terns, and 

 procured their food in the same way, hovering over the " schools " of blue- 

 fish and pouncing upon the small fry which these voracious creatures drove 

 to the surface. The stomachs of all the specimens Avhich were dissected 

 contained the macerated remains of small fishes only. In no case were 

 any insects detected. — William Brewster, Cambridge, Mass. 



The Black-throated Bunting (Ensjnza americana). — On page 45 of 

 the present volume of the Bulletin reference is had to the finding the nest 

 and eggs of this bird in Medford, in June, 1877, and the remark is made 

 that but few instances are known of this bird nesting in Massachusetts. 

 Without disputing this statement, I would mention that in 1833 and 1834 

 this bird was by no means uncommon in Cambridge in all the (then un- 

 occvipied) region around the Botanical Garden and thence to West Cam- 

 bridge and Charlestown. It may be found now every summer on the high 

 promontory making the northeast corner of Hingham, known as Planter's 

 Hill and World's-End, lying between Weir Eiver and the harbor. Men- 

 tion is made of its breeding in that locality in " North American Birds " 

 (Vol. II, page 67, lines 2 and 3), and since then its presence has been noted 

 every season when search has been made. In order to verify its presence 

 in this its favorite locality, this summer I made a successful exploration, 

 June 30, in company with my nephew, Wilhird S. Brewer. We found 

 one pair, with young, which the female was busily engaged in feeding 

 with small grasshoppers, while the male was intent upon his quaint 

 serenade on a near heap of stones. They were quite tame and unsus- 

 picious, and permitted a very close approach. We saw two other males, 



