Notes Extending Dates of Arrival and Departure of Certain 

 Species on Long Island 



By Henry Thurston 



DR. A. H. HELME, who has probably made a larger collection of Long 

 Island birds than any other ornithologist working in this region, re- 

 cently placed the bulk of the same with the collection of Dr. Jonathan 

 Dwight at the American Museum of Natural History. In checking up the 

 ^kins I saw that some were taken at times earlier or later in the season than 

 had heretofore been recorded, and give same below together with a few per- 

 sonal records of interest. This I am able to do by the courtesy of Dr. 

 Helme, who collected the birds recorded from his collection, and of Dr. 

 Dwight in whose hands they are at present. 



Redbreasted Merganser — A male Redbreasted Merganser was seen at 

 Freeport by writer on the 30th of May, 191 3. He circled- over the boat 

 twice, giving me a fine chance to see his beautiful nuptial plumage. 



Pintail — An apparently unrecorded winter Pintail turned up in process of 

 re-labeling the collection of Dr. Dwight. This bird was collected at Mon- 

 tauk Point on February 27, 1901. 



Pectoral Sandpiper — Early and late records of Long Island shore birds 

 are few and far between as it seems they have been neglected more than in- 

 land species that are easily reached. The following was found in the 

 Helme collection — one collected at Miller Place October 25, 1890. 



On the 30th of May, 1913, at Freeport, I observed two Pectoral Sand- 

 pipers ; both were closely approached and their call heard. 



Least Sandpiper — On the 30th of May at Freeport large flocks of 

 Least Sandpipers were seen. During the day several flocks totaling easily 

 500 birds were observed. Baymen told me Oxeyes were unusually common 

 — " in fact all snipes were this spring " — and observation on the flats and 

 meadows certainly verified this remark. 



Solitary Sandpiper — My earliest record for the Solitary Sandpiper is 

 one collected May 10th, 1911, at Flowerfield.* 



In Mr. Helme's collection are several birds that extend fall dates, col- 

 lected Nov. 2nd, 1889, at Miller Place, L. i., also one Oct. 8th, 1896, 

 Middle Island. 



Black-bellied Plover — Another surprise May 30th, 191 3, held in store 

 for me in way of migrator}- shore birds, at Freeport, was a flock of Beetle- 

 heads that numbered between 800 and 1,000 birds. This was a larger 



* See Auk XXVII, p. 27O. 



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