The Oologist. 



vol. XI. NO. 4. 



ALBION, N. Y., APRIL, 1894. 



Whole No. 102 



Maryland Birds that Interest the Sportsman. 



Colinus virginianus, Bob-white, Part- 

 tridge, Quail. The Partridge is the 

 most well known game bird in the 

 United States. It is resident with us, 

 but. if food or shelter is wantiug during 

 the winter, it will travel some distance 

 from its summer haunts. 



They always rjost upon the ground, 

 often in the middle of a field, at other 

 times within the shelter of a thicket or 

 in the woods they arrange themselves 

 in a circle, and if disturbed scatter in 

 all directions. 



Their principal food consists of seeds, 

 berries and various kinds of grain. In 

 the winter when these are covered by 

 the snow they frequently go into barn 

 yards and eat with the domestic fowls. 

 Daring the severe weather in January, 

 1893, large numbers of Partridges per- 

 ished. Their food was covered by the 

 deep snow and they became so emaciat- 

 ed and weak that they were unable to 

 stand the cold, which under oixlinary 

 circumstances when able to obtain a 

 sufficient supply of food, they could 

 easily have done. In Somerset County 

 I heard of three covies found dead in 

 one held, huddled together and frozen. 



In the migrations of the Bob- white 

 they often come to a river and fly- 

 across, but like the Turkey they are 

 sometimes unable to reach the opposite 

 shore. A case like this occurred near 

 our city some time ago. Two gentle- 

 men were fishing in the river when a 

 covey attempted to fly across, but their 

 strength gave out and they dropped 

 into the water near their boat. The 

 birds were unable to rise, and the 

 whole lot, fourteen' in all, were cap- 

 tured. 



In September, 1892, early in the 

 .morning, a covey of nineteen Bob- 



whites and one Ruffed Grouse was 

 seen on the lawn of a house situated 

 next to mine. This was in the city, but 

 the house was in a yard of about two 

 acres, and had quite a lai^ge grass-plot 

 with trees and bushes. 



artramia longicaiida, Bartramian 

 Saudpiper,Field Plover, Upland Plover, 

 Grass Plover, etc. This is a bird of the 

 pasture fields and is seldom found 

 where the grass is so tall that it cannot 

 see for some distance around. They 

 are generally A'ery wild, and the plan 

 of hunting them from a wagon is some- 

 times successfully tried, as they allow 

 a horse and wagon to come much elose- 

 er than a walking man. 



In our lower counties in July and 

 August they congregate in the large 

 fields in immense numbers, often to 

 the extent of several hundred. At this 

 time they feed on grasshoppers and get 

 very fat. I have frequently shot them 

 and on -picking them up found the 

 breast burst open from striking the 

 ground. 



■Niimenius longirostris, Long-billed 

 Curlew; Sickle-billed Curlew. Migra- 

 tory; rare. A few seen in the winter. 



Numenius hudsonius, Hudsonian Cur- 

 lew, Short-billed Civrlew, Jack Curlew. 

 The most abundant of our Curlews. 

 They are usually very wild and it is 

 difficult to secure them, although they 

 often come to the decoys. 



Numenius borealis, Eskimo Curlew. 

 Capt. C. H. Crumb writes me that it 

 is a rare fall visitant at Cobb's Island. 

 It should be found on our coast at the 

 same time, but I have no record of it. 



Charadrius squatarola, Black-bellied 

 Plover. Black-breast Plover, Beetle- 

 head Plover, Bull-head Plover, Ox-eye, 

 etc. This bird, which is subject to a 

 variety of plumage from young to adult, 

 as well as a variety of names, is an 



