218 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



plentiful" on Long Island, but is "slowly passing away," and 

 that he has not seen one for many years. ^ He collected birds 

 on Long Island during the 30's and 40's of the last century. 

 Giraud (1848) rates it as extremely rare there in his day. 

 Eaton gives but three records of the species in New York, and 

 Knight gives but three definite records for Maine. Howe and 

 Allen give the following for Massachusetts: One was seen at 

 Stoneham, November 27, 1837. ^ A specimen was taken at 

 Swampscott, by S. Jillson, April 22, 1852. ^ Another was ob- 

 tained from Cape Cod by William Brewster, in April, 1870." 

 One was killed at Hummock Pond, Nantucket, in October, 

 1872.^ One was shot at Rockport by Robert Wendel, April 

 12, 1875.^ One was sent to Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, in 

 April, 1890, which had been caught in a trap.^ A female was 

 taken at Plymouth, April 9, 1892 (C. C. Wood).^ One was 

 caught in June, 1897, at Boxford; "another, supposed to be 

 of the same species, and the mate were seen at the pond." ^ 

 Dr. Townsend gives the following additional records in his 

 Birds of Essex County : A male, now in the Peabody Academy 

 Collection, was taken at Saugus, May 10, 1875. A specimen 

 in possession of Mrs. W. S. Horner, at Georgetown, was taken 

 about 1891 at Byfield; reported by Mr. J. A. Farley.^ One 

 was taken in West Newbury, in October, 1893, by J. W. Pray, 

 and is now in the Peabody Academy Collection.^*' 



This bird feeds on insects, worms, mollusks, snails and 

 other small aquatic animals, and on fruit, seeds and other 

 vegetable productions. 



1 Dutcher, William: Auk, 1893, p. 272. 



2 Peabody, W. B. 0.: Report on the Ornithology of Mass., 1839, p. 258. 



3 Putnam, F. W.: Proc. Essex Inst., 1856, Vol. 1, p. 224. 



* Baird, S. F., Brewer, T. M., and Ridgeway, R.: Water Birds, 1884, Vol. 1, p. 385. 



5 Brewer, T. M.: Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., 1879, Vol. XX, p. 105. 



6 Whitman, G. P.: Amer. Nat., October, 1875, Vol. LX., No. 10, p. 573. 

 ' Farley, J. A.: Auk, 1901, p. 190. 



8 Ornithologist and Oologist, May, 1892, Vol. XVII, No. 5, p. 72. 



9 Auk, 1901, p. 398. 



1" Townsend, C. W.: Memoirs of the Nuttall Orn. Club, the Birds of Essex County, Mass., No. 3, 

 p. 161. 



