1889.] Dutcuer, Bird Notes from Long Island, N. Y. 133 
following manner. Sometimes one or two would rest for a moment on 
the water, floating buoyantly, like a tossing cork. Where the ebbing tide 
made slick, greasy looking streaks on the water, and alsoin eddies where 
drift and floatage gathered, these birds seemed most fond of congregating, 
evidently for the particles of food they there found. We remained on the 
ocean about three hours, when the gathering wind and ctouds warned us 
to return to the more quiet waters of the bay. While the wind was light 
the Petrels were quite shy and would rarely come within gunshot, but as 
the breeze became stronger and the water rougher, they seemed to lose 
their fear of our boat and we could sail within gunshot without difficulty. 
Six specimens were secured, all proving to be of this species. Many more 
could have been shot, but unfortunately we were without a landing-net 
and so could not recover them. While returning to the beach we saw 
them in gradually lessening numbers, the last one being just inside the 
mouth of the inlet. While feeding, their movements were extremely 
graceful. On finding floating matter they would hover over it, dropping 
their feet to the water and apparently patting it, and, with partially ex- 
tended wings, bend their necks so that their bills would point downwards 
ata right angle to the body. During the early part of August, Petrels 
were common at the entrance to Long Island Sound, as per report of 
Basil Hicks Dutcher ;* the onlyone he secured was of this species. That 
they sometimes wander westward through the Sound is established by the 
recoid made by Robert B. Lawrence, of one taken near Sands Point, 
Queens Co., August 7, 1881. ‘ 
3. Phalacrocorax carbo. CoRMORANT.—September 24, 1888, I received 
in the flesh a magnificent specimen of this species from Chas. B. Field, 
who had shot it two days previously near the Little Gull Island Light. 
He subsequently wrote to me in answer to inquiries, ‘‘There were two of 
them, both alike. We havea much smaller kind, all black. I often see 
the large kind, both alone and with the smaller black ones. I do not 
know that I have ever seen a flock without a few of the large ones (like 
specimen sent) with them. I have seen in one day, perhaps thirty of the 
large ones, but they are not so plenty as the small ones. Both kinds are 
very wild and hard to get at.” With the aid of observations which Mr. 
Field has promised to make in the future, and the specimens he hopes to 
procure of both the Cormorants credited to’ Long Island, I trust soon to 
be able to define their status in that district. 
4. Anas boschas + obscura. Hysprip.—March 17, 1888, Andrew Chi- 
chester, a professional South Bay gunner and bayman, sent to me from 
Amityville, Suffolk Co., the above-indicated very beautiful hybrid. His 
letter accompanying it I give in full: ‘‘I send you a Duck different from 
anything I ever saw in my experience as a gunner. It looks to me like a 
mongrel, half Mallard and half Black Duck. It was in a flock of five, I 
think. They came in wide, so I only shot at the one, and I did not see 
*See antea, p. 128. 
{ Forest and Stream, Vol. XXVII, p. 428. 
