5 2 General Notes. [^^^_ 



Spotted Sandpiper removing its Young. — A clearly observed case of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper {Actitis jnaciilaria) removing its young by flight 

 recently came under my notice, and I place it upon record, as such 

 instances are rarely seen, though they are, perhaps, of tolerably frequent 

 occurrence, as in the case of the Woodcock. 



Last summer, in the month of July, I frequentlj' landed on a little rocky 

 islet near the head of the Saguenay River, shortly after it issues from 

 Lake St. John. Each time a Spotted Sandpiper showed much concern for 

 her young, which were often seen running about and were a few days old. 

 On one of these occasions, the mother ran ahead of me to a point of rocks 

 near which I stopped to fish. A few moments later she flew, circling in 

 the usual manner, and as she passed in front of me and within a few feet, 

 I saw one of the young beneath her body, apparently clasped by her 

 thighs; its head was directed forward, somewhat outstretched, and was 

 seen with perfect distinctness. The parent's legs were apparently hanging 

 down as she flew, though I am not positive that what I saw were not the 

 legs of the young. The mother was in sight for about sixty yards, flying 

 heavily and silently, and landed on a large island, though I could not see 

 her at the moment of alighting. — -J. C. Merrill, Washiiigton, D. C. 



The 1897 Migration of the Golden Plover {Cha7-adriits domhitcus) and 

 the Eskimo Curlew {Numenius borealis) in Massachusetts. — Were it not 

 for the reason that I desire to keep up the continuitj^ of my migrating 

 record on these birds, I should scarcely consider the data I have for this 

 season worth recording. Up to August 22, no Golden Plovers or Eskimo 

 Curlews had been observed at Nantucket or adjacent islands. On this 

 date the wind was southwest, with rain commencing at 9.30 o'clock a. m. , 

 accompanied at intervals with lightning. I drove all over the western 

 plover grounds but did not see any birds. I was informed that a flock 

 of thirty Golden Plovers had been seen there later in the day. The wind 

 finally came from the northeast and in the evening two or three persons 

 informed me that they had heard the birds passing over the tower. 

 Although on the alert, I did not hear any. Again, after 10.30 at night, a 

 good many birds were reported to have been heard from several points 

 as they passed over head, but none stopped. At Chatham, Cape Cod, 

 Mass., on this same date (August 22), the first Golden Plovers (four) 

 of the season, as far as I know, were shot, and many others Avere noted 

 as they passed during the day, on migration. This was Wx^ first move- 

 ment going south this season. 



I again drove all over the western grounds on Nantucket August 23 

 seeing four Golden Plovers, flying towards the west; later in the day two 

 others were noted. On the 24th, I am informed, three flocks of Plovers 

 were observed at the westward, one of twenty-five, one of fifteen, and 

 one of thirty, the numbers being estimated. A small flock of six Plovers 

 was also observed at Tuckernuck Island. The wind was easterly on this 



