36 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Anser albifrons gambeli, American 

 White-fronted Goose. Very rare; only a 

 few ever having been recorded inMary- 

 land. November 12, 1893, my uncle shot 

 ■one over Duck decoys on Gunpowder 

 ftiver. It was alone at the time. It 

 was mounted and is now in the Mary- 

 land Academy of Sciences, this city. 



Branta canadensis, Canada Goose. 

 Very common during the migrations. 

 Many are killed at the shores at the 

 mouths of our rivers and along the Bay 

 .shore. I have seen large numbers off 

 ]Legoe's Point at the mouth of Bush 

 Hiver. 



Branta bernicla, Brant. This is 

 more of a maritime bird and remains 

 along the coast. 



Olor columbianus , Whistling Swan. 

 Common in Chesapeake Bay, often as- 

 cending its tributaries. I have seen 

 large flocks bedded in the Bay off 

 Legoe's Point, where many are killed 

 at times. March 14, 1893, I saw a flock 

 of six in Gunpowder River, where they 

 remained within a radius of about two 

 hundred yards all day. They are some- 

 times killed on the Potomac as high up 

 as Harper's Ferry. November 6, 1893, 

 several flocks were on the Potomac 

 •opposite Brunswick. 



Rallus elegans, King Rail, Fresh- 

 water Marsh-hen. Often shot in the 

 fresh water marshes by gunners when 

 after Reedbirds, etc. It is resident in 

 summer and I have taken two sets of 

 its eggs. 



Rallus crepitans, Clapper Rail, Salt- 

 water Marsh-hen, Mud-hen, Sedge-hen, 

 etc. Migratory; abundant in the salt 

 marshes along the Atlantic coast, where 

 it breeds in immense numbers. I have 

 seen numbers of them floating about 

 on the "drift" during a high tide. 



Rallus virginianus, Virginia Rail. 

 Migratory; not common; sometimes shot 

 in the marshes. 



Porzana Carolina, Sora, CarolinaRail, 

 Ortolan. The Rail, as it is commonly 

 <called, is very abundant in our fresh 



water marshes during the fall migra- 

 tion in August and September. On 

 the marshes at Marlboro and Notting- 

 ham it is not an unusual thing for a 

 single man to bag from 250 to 300 birds 

 a day. At this season they are very 

 fat, and are highly esteemed for the 

 table. 



Fulica americana, American Coot. 

 This bird is often shot and sold in mar- 

 ket as the Crow-bdl Duck. They are 

 poor eating being rank and fishy. Mi- 

 gratory. 



Philohela minor, AmericanWoodcock. 

 Migratory as a rule, but resident dur- 

 ing mild winters. 3 They begin to breed 

 very early and on the nest are exceed- 

 ingly tame. They frequent low wet 

 woodlands, and except for the flies and 

 hot weather make very enjoyable shoot- 

 ing in July, the more so from the fact 

 of their being the only game to shoot at 

 the time. Their flight when flushed is 

 rapid, but after flying a few yards they 

 will drop. They can be flushed several 

 times before taking a longer flght. 



Many Woodcock are killed by flying 

 against telegraph wires; several times 

 I have found them on the ground be 

 tween the Doles. 



In the spring while mating they have 

 a curious way of ascending in the air, 

 uttering a peculiar note at the time. 

 One moonlight night in March while I 

 was after Muskrats I heard the Wood- 

 cock all about me, and at times they 

 would alight on the sandy soil within a 

 few yards of me. 



Oallinago delicata, Wilson's Snipe, 

 Jack Snipe. The Jack Snipe is a com- 

 mon spring and fall migrant, most 

 abundant in the spring. 



When flushed they utter a peculiar 

 note resembling scaip, scaip, and the 

 first few yards of their flight is zig-zag, 

 making a difficult shot at the time. 



They are found in the river marshes 

 and in wet meadows, seldom where 

 there are trees. Sometimes when 

 abundant, dozens will flush at the re- 



