6o General Notes. 



ed of the Eagles' carrying off poultry and young pigs, boldly venturing 

 near the houses for the purpose. — Charles F. Batchelder, Cambridge, 



Mass. 



Breeding of the Wild Pigeon in Confinement. — Of late years 

 the Wild Pigeon has been trapped and kept in confinement for use in trap- 

 shooting to a considerable extent, but instances of these captives having 

 bred and raised their young is. I believe, quite unusual. 



The following " clipping " from the Hartford, Conn., "'Courant" of 

 August 5, 1880, on this subject, credited to the New Haven " Palladium," 

 which has kindly been sent me by Mr. J. A. Stannis, may be worthy of 

 note : 



u Sherman Potter, the veteran pigeon shooter of Fair Haven, has a pair 

 of wild pigeons which he has trained in the capacity of stool pigeons and 

 flights. This season, to the surprise of Potter and everyone else, they 

 hatched one young one, which has grown to full size, and recently hatch- 

 ed another which is now two-thirds grown. This is an unusual occurrence 

 for wild pigeons to raise their young in captivity. Potter is delighted, 

 and is about to enter into the business of raising these birds on a grand 

 scale, as they find a ready market at $5 apiece in Fair Haven, to be used 

 as stool pigeons and flights." — Ruthven Deane, Chicago, Hi. 



Evidence of the Former Existence of the Wild Turkey at 

 Mount Desert Island. Maine. — Last summer (August 14. 18S0), while 

 searching in an old Indian shell-heap on the east side of Mount Desert 

 Island. Maine. I found a portion of the tarsus of a Wild Turkey {Melea- 

 gris gallopavo). This is interesting as showing the former range of this 

 bird, which is now extinct in New England. 



In Jeffries Wvman's account of the Indian shell-heaps of New England, 

 he does not mention finding the bones of the Wild Turkey farther north 

 than Eagle Hill in Ipswich. Massachusetts. — C. W. Townsend, Boston, 

 Mass. 



Recent Occurrence of Bairds Sandpiper^/-/;/^ bairdi)iN Maine. 

 — So far as I am aware, we have but four recorded instances * of the cap- 

 ture of this Sandpiper in New England, but the following facts will seem 

 to indicate that in certain localities, at least, it may be something more 

 than a mere accidental visitor. On the evening of Sept. 4, 18S0. while 

 returning from a trip up Lake Umbagog (Oxford Co.. Maine), and just as 

 we were entering the mouth of Cambridge River, the guide called my 

 attention to a flock of small Waders sitting on a mud-flat. I made, out two 

 of the nurhber to be Ring-necked Plovers, but in the fading light it was 

 difficult to distinguish colors, and as the remaining six looked unfamiliar 

 I picked out one that stood a little apart and shot it. The others disap- 



* Long Island, Boston Harbor, Aug. 27, 1870. Brewster, Am. Nat., VI, May, 1872, 

 306.— Lake Umbagog, Upton, Maine, Sept. 1, 1875. Breiuster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, I, 

 April, 1876, 19. — Scarborough Beach, Maine, Sept. 9, 1875. Brown, Bull. Nutt. Orn. 

 Club, II, January, 1877, 28. — Swampscott, Mass., Aug. 27, 1876. Brewer, Bull. Nutt. 

 Orn. Club, III, July, 1878, 140. 



