Jan. 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



13 



not enough exUaiisU'd, howcviT, to fail to notice 

 tlie rappings of a Pilcatcd Woodpecker, a bird not 

 recorded heretofore as being in Onondaga county, 

 in fact I gave him a long cliase, but he was too 

 wary for me and escaped. 



It was hard work, with our tired muscles, pull- 

 ing the boat out of the swamp, but at last we 

 reached the lake, just as the enveloping shades of 

 night were creeping over tlie wild, wcl hole be- 

 ll ind us. 



What a lu.xury it was to change our wet and 

 lorn clothes, and to sit down to a warm supper 

 and think of our work in the heronry as success- 

 fully accoui|>lished. 



Notes on the Birds of the Sea Islands. 



BY w.vi.rKu i[().>:iE, KiioiaioiiH, 



C.^K. — I'.VUT I. 



These miles are a digest of my notes since Oct. 

 lS(iT. I have kept them on the margins of the 

 leaves of a cojiy of Baird's report Vol. IX Pacific 

 K. U. The locality includes Ladies and St. 

 Helena Islands and the Hunting Islaiuls between 

 St. Helena Island and Port Hoyal Entrance. I 

 shall follow no special (U'der but give the Waders 

 tirst ;is iliiy are essentially tlie typical birds of 

 this Iiiciility. The other orders as fast as I can 

 get my notes into .shape. Of these (351) two hun- 

 dred and fifty-one are species which are attributed 

 lo this locality. I find bj- my notes that I have 

 now killed or otlicrwi.se identified (338) two hun- 

 dri'd and lliiily-eight species. The Smithsonian 

 liiiiulKis will I lliliik serve for identiticalion, as 

 well as Ihc l,alin names and save space. 



(ireal Blue Heron, (487,) Resident:— Breeds the 

 se<'ond week in May on nearly all the Hunting 

 Islands, (.'ailed "Sambo" by the natives. 



While Heicai, (489,) common in the latter jiarl 

 of Sumiuer. A few .seen all Winter and a few 

 in Spring in lireeding pl\iniage. Retires Id some 

 inlciior liiialily lo liii'cd. 



Snowy Heron, (490,) arrives aboul the last of 

 March, (Mcli, 3,"), Apl, 5, earliest and the latest 

 (ibserved dates.) Begins to lay in the latter pari 

 of April, nesting in company with the ne.\l two 

 species in low trees and liushcs in swamps. 

 Leaves here .shortly after till' middle of October. 

 ■ • .Job" of the natives. 



Louisiana Heron, (4!13.) nearly the .s;inie dales 

 apply to this as to the iirei-cding. Possilily ic- 

 lircs a little earlier. 



Lillle Blue Heron. (4i);-i,) arrives a week later in 

 Spring, and tarries at least a month later in the 

 Fall. Must be more partial to the interior as a 

 breeding ground, still many are here all Summer. 

 Late in the season the young of this species seems 



to outnumber two to one all other Herons except 

 the Green. 



Green Heron, (4i)4,) very common and breed- 

 ing ])leiilifully, arrives a few days after the mid- 

 dle of March and begins nesting before the mid- 

 dle of April. Departs about Oct. 10, " Skow" of 

 the native, 



Ni.dil Heron, (4!l,'),l not uncianinon, breeds, of- 

 len seen in winler. 



Yi-lhiw Crowiied Night Heron. (4!M!,) common, 

 arrives etirly in .May and the Fall departure ile- 

 jiends upon the supply of coarse lisli upon which 

 this bird seems (while here at least) to feed e.\- 

 clusivcly. If the ]ionds and swamps hecoine dry 

 Ihey leave as soiin as the yoiuig can tly, ollierwisc 

 I hey linger until late in the Fall. Breed later than 

 any of the other Herons, in high trees surrounded 

 by water; nest verj/ slight. One of my colored 

 friends says, that the old bird cries herself sick if 

 she has to use more than three sticks in her 

 building. 



Biltei-n. (4!)T,) Spring and Fall niigranl. 



Least Bittern, (4!)8,) common, breeds.— Two 

 broods are jn'obably reared as I have obtained 

 I he eggs early in May and a.srain in An.gust; sel- 

 dom .seen in broad dayli,glit but easily procured 

 before and after sunset. 



Wood Ibis, (.500,) common in .luly ami .\ugusl. 

 Flocking in the marsh ami about all Ihe ponds in 

 the Hunting Islands. 



White Ibis, ('A)\,) men once. 



Glos,sy Ibis, (.")0.")), rare or only occasidmd in 

 young i)lumage: (.lune 30,) 



Spoon-bill, (.50.'),) tjuite rare; one or two taken 

 every year on Port Royal Island. 



Golden Plover, (r)15,) scarce, li,-i\c taken it in 

 every month from Octobei;lo .Vpril, 



Killdeer, (510,) common resident and Winter 

 \ isitor. Some years breeds and occasionally re- 

 tires altogether. 



Wilson PJover, (.533.) arrives the tirst week in 

 .March. Iireeds early in May. Leaves in Se|ilem 

 her. 



King Plover, (517,) mi.nrant, common in .\|iiil 

 and May. Retiring as early as the first of .Vngiist 

 and often lingering late into the Winter. 



Piping Plover, (530.) not very common in April 

 and .May. (Juilc r.Mre in Ihe Fall, niusi return by 

 a dilVercnt route. 



Black iM'llied Plover. (513.) migrates slowly in 

 Hie Spring and usii;i]ly in line plumage. Scarcer 

 in Hie Fall. 



Oyster Catcher. (5IIT,) eoninion rcsideni, breeds 

 ill May. 



Still. (.■|ii7.) saw a Hock in Aiiril. (out of pow- 

 der.) 



