268 General Notes. . . [^^'J 



Wilson's Phalarope {Steganopus tricolor) at Ocean City, N. J. — To 

 the best of my knowledge the published records of Wilson's Phalarope on 

 the New Jersey coast are limited to two specimens recorded by Dr. C. 

 C. Abbott, as taken at Deal Beach, Monmouth Co. (Birds of New Jej-sey, 

 in Cooke's Geol. of N. J., i86S). I was never able to trace up these speci- 

 mens, and the many evident errors in the list in which they are mentioned, 

 naturally casts some doubt on the validity of the record. It is with much 

 pleasure, therefore, that I am able to place on record the capture of a fine 

 adult female of this species by Mr. Gilbert H. Moore, at Ocean City, N. J., 

 May 19, 1S98. The bird was in company Avith a flock of the smaller 

 shore birds when shot. 



Mr. Moore has presented the specimen to the local collection of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. — Witmer Stone, ylrrt</. 

 Nat. Science, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Unusual Nesting Site of Kingbird. — The following may be of some 

 interest to the readers of 'The Auk.' It is certainly unique in my expe- 

 rience There is a fence post within 50 feet of the Shady Hill Station, 

 Bedford, Mass., and within 35 feet of the railroad, and immediately beside 

 a road, over which men are travelling back and forth all day long, from 

 the office and packing sheds of the Shady Hill Nursery. This post was 

 made of an abandoned railroad tie, whose end had bee'n somewhat hol- 

 lowed by decay; and in this hollow, in the summer of 1896, a pair of 

 Kingbirds ( Tyrannus tyranttus) built their nest and raised four young. 



One would imagine, judging from the usual characteristics of the King- 

 birds, that this pair might have been in constant trouble ; but Messrs. 

 A. H. Kirkland, of the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, and 

 E. L. Beard, President of the Shady Hill Nursery, to whom I am indebted 

 for thiis information, seem to be under the impression that, all things con- 

 sidered, they got on very well. The top of the post was only about four 

 feet above the ground, and being immediately beside the road, was, of 

 course, a matter of some interest to the passers-by; but as orders had 

 been issued by Mr. Beard to his numerous workmen, not to have the 

 nest disturbed, the old ones were able to bring them up. 



I have no date except that of June 9, 1896, given me by Mr. Kirkland, 

 at which time, he writes me, the nest "contained four young." 



Mr. Beard is responsible for the information that on days of extreme 

 heat, the old birds could often be seen standing over their young, and 

 with vibrating wings, sheltering and cooling them. — • Fred H. Kennard, 

 — Boston, Mass. 



Early Arrival of the Kingbird at Cambridge, Mass. — I saw a Kingbird 

 Saturday, April 16, in my yard. I suppose it is a very unusual date for 

 the arrival of Tyrannus tyranmis. It has been seen there eleven other 

 days; from the 23d to the 29th of April it was cold and rainy with north- 

 east winds during which the bird was not seen. 



