NATURAL HISTORY SKETCHES 343 



reach with their bills. lie often finds them containing feathers, 

 down, dead skin, etc. — American Naturalist, volume 1, page 498. 



Mr. G. A. Boardman of Milltown, Me., writes us (November, 

 186S) that he collected the nests and eggs of the following birds 

 in the spring of 1868 : Goshawk, Canada Jay, VVhite-wiuged 

 Crossbill, Pine Finch and the Pine Grosbeak. — American Natural- 

 ist, volume 3, page 222. 



In the June (1868) Naturalist, Mr. Tripp in his interesting 

 article, states that the Tennessee warbler is not found in New 

 England, or only as a straggler. With us it is one of our very 

 common w r arblers, and I can collect half a dozen almost any 

 morning about the twentieth of May. A few remain through the 

 season. — American Naturalist, volume 3, page 222. 



In the August (1868) Naturalist you ask if, like Mr. Pope, 

 anyone has observed Wilson's Snipe on trees? This is not an 

 uncommon habit of the bird, when you are taking its nest or 

 catching its young ; but I have never observed it at any other time. 

 Of our sixteen species of ducks, I have observed the same thing in 

 all but two, when trying to catch their young. — American 

 Naturalist, volume 3, page 222. 



In the American Naturalist, Vol. 3, page 331, Mr. H. A. Purdie, 

 writing of Mr. Boardman's statement that the Tennessee warbler 

 was very abundant in his locality, says : "This fact is very inter- 

 esting. It shows how irregular is the distribution of some of our 

 birds. This species seems to be one of a class of birds which, 

 though quite rare in other parts of New England, are not at all so 

 in southeastern Maine, reaching that region, I presume, by way of 

 the St. Lawrence and central Maine water route." 



In the August (186S) Naturalist, A. R. Y. mentions that the 

 Pied or Labrador duck was shot on Long Island last winter. I 

 would be much obliged to A. R. Y. if he would let me know if the 

 specimens shot were full-plumaged males and who has them. 

 This is a very interesting bird to the naturalist, from the fact of 

 its being so rare, and I had almost begun to think the bird had 

 left us, as I had not heard of a full-plumaged male being taken 

 for ten years. I have been shown two which were taken for the 



