108 Browx on Birds at Fort/and, Me. 



The first specimen of Recurvirostra americana known to have been 

 taken in Maine was shot at Simonton's Cove, Cape Ehzabeth, on the 

 5th of November, 1878, and passed through my hands. A notice 

 of the bird was shortly afterwards published in the "Portland Press" 

 by the Portland Natural History Society, in whose cabinet the 

 specimen is preserved. I should add that reports have reached me 

 of the occurrence of several other individuals of this species about 

 the same time, but have not been traceable to any authentic source. 



I am not aware that any of the scieiitific papers * relating to the 

 birds of Maine include the name of RaJlus longirostris. It appears, 

 however, to be a rare visitor to the State. Mr. Samuel Hanson, a 

 gentleman who is perfectly familiar with the species, has given rae 

 three instances of its occurrence in the vicinity of Portland. One 

 specimen was killed by himself, in Falmouth, on the 17th of Octo- 

 ber, 1866, and about the same tin)e two others were noticed in the 

 game-bag of a sportsman in the same town. A pi'obable fourth 

 specimen (if correctly identified, doubtless the first killed in the 

 State) was shot by mj' friend Mr. Lutlier Redlow, about September, 

 1864. It proved a " sp. nov." to all local sportsmen, and was pro- 

 nounced to be of the species in question only after comparison with 

 printed descriptions. 



Two young examples of H ydrochelidon lariformis were taken in 

 Scarborough the past autumn, and are probably, with one exception, 

 the first detected within the limits of the State. Professor Verrill 

 gives the bird as rare in Maine, but writes me of it : "I think its 

 occurrence rests on examinations of a specimen or specimens formerly 

 in the Portland Natural History Society's collection before it was 

 burned. I ctmnot remember whether I ever saw more than one or 

 not." And since not only the Societ^-'s entire collection, but all its 

 records, were destroyed in the great fire of 1866, it must remain a 

 matter of doubt whether more than one specimen existed in its cabi- 

 net before that time. 



* A contributor writing from Portsmouth to the defunct " Country," under 

 date of February 14, 1878, noted the cajiture of a " Hall us crepitans " at York, 

 Me., in the last week of December, 1875. Since the gentlcTuan chose to con- 

 ceal his identity under the initial " E.," I am unable to say under whose spon- 

 sorship this record was made, but regard it as probably correct. Mr. Purdie 

 writes me that his allusion on page 22, Vol. II, of this Bulletin, to the bird's 

 occurrence in Maine was based on a knowledge of the same specimen, which, he 

 adds, was preserved by Mr. Vickery, of Lynn, Mass. 



