INTRODUCTION. 



The purpose of this little work is to provide the bird- 

 student in eastern Massachusetts with a handy pocket 

 reminder of " what, when, and where" to seek. To this 

 end the booklet is made as compact as possible, with 

 sufficient blank space for brief notes, and follows the gen- 

 eral plan of a previous one by the same author (Annotated 

 List of Birds of Wellesley and vicinity) covering a much 

 smaller area. 



Its field is all of Massachusetts east of the lowlands 

 along the Connecticut River, including Worcester county 

 and all that part of the State east there-of, the off-shore 

 islands and the coastal waters. It is prepared, however, with 

 particular reference to the local records and other features 

 of especial interest to residents, temporary or permanent, 

 of the county of Essex. 



This is not the place for a detailed discussion of the 

 avifauna of the district as a whole or that of Essex county 

 in particular. For such, the student should consult Howe 

 and Allen's " Birds of Massachusetts" and Townsend's 

 " Birds of Essex County" respectively. A few brief state- 

 ments, however, are permissible. 



As will be readily appreciated, the district as a whole is 

 by no means a homogeneous one. Three general subdi- 

 visions may be recognized: (1) the immediate sea-shore, 

 with its wealth of marine and coastwise 'water-birds; (2) 

 the main mass of the land area, lying in the lower transi- 

 tion life zone, its southern part showing distinct austral 

 tendencies; and (3) the highlands of Worcester county in 

 the northern and western part (Princeton, Winchendon, 

 etc.), culminating in Mt. Wachusett (2018 feet), and char- 



