250 General Notes. 



contained two birds but no egg. When taken from the holes the birds 

 showed no disposition to fly but on being released would scurry back into 

 their holes or under some log. They appeared to be completely dazzled 

 by the light, and if thrown into the air would fly in an aimless and dazed 

 way for a few moments, very much after the manner of a Night Hawk 

 when thrown from the limb of a tree. 



In a letter written by Mr. Manly Hardy of Brewer, Me., to Mr. "William 

 Brewster, and quoted by the latter gentleman in the Bulletin for 1SS1 

 (Vol. VI, p. 125), Mr. Hardy says "the males do most if not all the incu- 

 bating," but he further says that of twelve specimens taken from the nest 

 and sent him June 15, 1880, five proved to be females. Having this com- 

 munication in mind, my friend (Mr. N. A. Eddy) and myself thought to 

 investigate a little, and to this end took twelve birds from their nests. 

 None of the forty-three found on their nests showed bare spots on the 

 breast as described by Mr. Hardy, though our visit was on June 23.01- 

 about a week later than when Mr. Hardy's birds were secured the year 

 before, so our selections were entirely at random. Of the twelve birds 

 eight were females and four males. One female and one male of those 

 counted were from the burrow spoken of as without an egg, leaving to 

 those taken from their eggs, seven females and three males. 1 have had 

 others taken from the nest and sent me. and have found that the number 

 of males and females was about equal. This would seem to indicate, — 

 In Mr. Hardy's testimony above quoted, — that both male and female share 

 about equally the task of incubation and not that the male alone does most 

 if not all of it. 



Collurio ludovicianus. Loggerhead Shrike. — These birds, which 

 were first reported as breeding in this vicinity a few yeai s ago, still continue 

 to visit us. and Mere among our earliest arrivals last spring. I have taken 

 two nests the past season, both of which were taken in the same location 

 where they have been found breeding for several years past. It may not 

 be without interest to state that these birds seem peculiarly partial to two 

 or three localities in this vicinity. In these places I have almost always 

 found them from early spring till late in the fall, while elsewhere about 

 our city they are very rarely seen. 



Cotile riparia. Sand Swallow. — While examining some Sand Swal- 

 low's burrows on Cranberry Islands, this summer, three were found con- 

 taining two nests each, each nest having in it fresh eggs. The finding of 

 two nests with eggs in the same burrow struck me as somewhat remark- 

 able and I thought it was perhaps worthy of notice. — Harry Merrill. 

 Bangor ; Maine. 



Destruction of Birds by a Storm while migrating. — April 2. 

 1SS1. found me in a small schooner, on the passage from Brazos de San- 

 tiago, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama. At about noon of that day the wind 

 suddenly changed from east to north, and within an hour it was blowing 

 a gale ; we were now about thirty miles south of the mouths of the Misis- 

 sippi River, which would bring the vessel on a line with the river and the 

 I 



