128 General Notes. 



chorea Icucorrlwa), and some Skuas (Sfcrcorarius pomaforJiini's) and one 

 Sterna hirundo. The men were dressing iish, and ' Hags ' were numerous 

 and bold, coming within six feet of me to pick up fish livers. Petrels b}' the 

 hundreds all around." 



Several days of stormy weather followed, when few birds were obtained 

 or apparently observed. Later, he says : — 



' 'September 8. Sawseveral .S*. pomato7'hi7ius, P. aw.ilorum, and 'CareyChickens' 

 this A. M. These birds evidently follow vessels for the garbage. The Petrels 

 seem to be flying about all night, as when on deck at night I have often seen a 

 black shadow flit by close to me, and on moonlight nights they come up very 

 close, even picking bits of gurry off" the rail. Shot to-day eleven S. pomatorhi- 

 nus, representing two plumages. These birds in the sooty plumage are known 

 as Black Marlingspikes. This afteinoon a Yellow Warbler {Dendroeca cestiva) 

 came aboai'd, but soon flew away. 



" Scjitember 9. Shot two S. piomatorhinus awA one 'AVhip-tail.' This bird was 

 not common. 1 .saw only a few. It jiroved to be Sterxorarius cejjphus [=para- 

 siticios]. Saw two Gra}' Gulls, which I think were Larus marinus. ' Hags ' have 

 been quite scarce the past day or two. 



'' SejJtember ]2. Shot eight Carey Chickens at once to-day ; they were very 

 numerous. 



" September 15. Made the coast of Nova Scotia, — the first land seen for six- 

 teen days. It looked good. Gannets {Sula bassana) in winter plumage com- 

 mon all da}'^ along the coast ; also some 'Hags' and Terns; nothing new. 

 Strange to say, these Gannets are called by their right name. 



' ' September 16. Saw several ' Sea Geese ' ; they were much tamer than when 

 previously seen. At 3 p. m. two Gray Eagles were seen, and at 3.30 a Sharp- 

 shinned Hawk flew astern, going north toward the land, some seventy miles 

 distant ." 



On September 1 7 Skua and Herring Gulls were seen in Ipswich Bay 

 apparently contending for " tinker " mackerel. A " Gi-ay Coot " ( Qidemia 

 velvetina) was also observed. 



Under date of September 5, on Quereau Bank, he notes the appearance 

 in the vicinity of the vessel of the Greater Telltale (Totanus melanoleucus') 

 and the Turnstone (StrepsUas interpres), a single individual of each. On 

 August 31, when eighty-two miles from land, a Yellow "Warbler (^Dendroeca 

 cestica) alighted on the vessel, but soon flew away in the direction of the 

 land, this making two specimens of this species that visited the vessel 

 when out of sight of land. 



Of the species of strictly Sea-Birds noted, the Petrels and the Pomarine 

 Jaeo^er appear to have been the most abundant, in addition to which were 

 observed the Skua (Stercorarius catajrhactes), the Long-tailed Jaeger 

 (-S. parasiticuti), and one or two species each of Terns and Gulls, Avhile 

 small flocks of Red Phalaropes were seen on several occasions. Mr. 

 Rido-way informs me that Mr. Newcomb's collection contained also two 

 specimens of Richardson's Skua {S.- crepidatus). — J. A. Allen, Cam- 

 lrid(je, Mass. 



