10 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



er than our bird. Its status was 

 fully reviewed by Mr. Chapman in 

 1886, (Auk. XIII, P. 11.) 



Another bird of great rarity in col- 

 lections, in a large measure due to 

 its secretive habits, no doubt, has pre- 

 viously been reported from Maine. 

 The bird in question is the Little 

 Black Rail, or Jamaica Rail. The re- 

 port aluded to is contained in Mr. 

 Smith's Birds of Maine, and as it illus- 

 trates the habits of the present species 

 I may be pardoned for quoting it in 

 full. 



During the autumn of 1881 great num- 

 bers of Carolina Rails were shot in the 

 vicinity of Portland, Maine, as also 

 numerous Virginia Rails, Yellow and 

 a King Rail. Upon the 4th of Oct., 

 while my friends, Jonas Hamilton and 

 Alpheus G. Rogers of this city, were 

 shooting in Scarboro, Mr. Hamilton's 

 dog brought to him alive and unhurt, 

 a Black Rail. The bird was probably 

 of the species Porzana jamaicensis. 

 Both gentlemen have a familar know- 

 ledge of our common species of rails, 

 and especially noted that this bird dif- 

 fered from the Sora or Carolina Rail, 

 and the Yellow Rail in form as well 

 as in plumage. Unfortunately the 

 specimen was not preserved, and it 

 may possibly have been an instance 

 of melanism in the young Yellow 

 Rail." (Forest & Stream, Mch. 15, 

 1883, P. 124) In D/. Aliens' review of 

 this species (Auk. XVII, P. 1) it is 

 shown that it has been observed in 

 Jamaica to hide its head and "cock 

 up the rump." when it is easily 

 caught. Let it be remembered that 

 Audubon's specimen was caught as 

 well as others in the vicinity of Phil- 

 adelphia. The name implies a dark 

 species, which would be the index for 

 the field collector. Mr. Wm. Brewster 

 has lately described its supposed notes 

 as kik-kik-kik, queeah (Auk XVII, P. 

 321), the final note being in the 

 nature of crowing. If the not^s be- 



long to this bird as supposed, it is 

 nocturnal in its habits. 



Of the large and interesting group of 

 shore birds, with its many stragglers, 

 I will call attention to only two species. 

 The hordes of Semipalmated Plovers 

 which bi-annually pass our coast line, 

 should receive careful attention, with 

 the hope of an occasional Ring Plover. 

 Aegialitis hiaticula which breeds on 

 the shores of Cumberland Sound. 

 These birds normally migrate to the 

 old world in autumn. But some un- 

 doubtedly join the flocks of allied 

 birds and pay passing visits to our 

 shores on rare occasions. The other 

 species, The Piping Plover is probably 

 extirpated as a summer resident of 

 Maine, but records of its former breed- 

 ing colonies are very desirable and 

 notes on its occurence are worthy of 

 record. 



In the same connection should be 

 cited the Spruce Grouse, not for its 

 rarity, but for its past distribution. It 

 is one of the most unsuspicious birds 

 in our State and has in consequence 

 been nearly exterminated, wherever 

 settlers or lumbering interests have 

 penetrated its range. Hence it is nt>w 

 important from the stand point of the 

 faunist to collect and record all re- 

 reliable data concerning its former dis- 

 tribution. The Passenger Pigeon, 

 should even now b.e carefully looked 

 for. The collector who might secure 

 one would be indeed fortunate. 



Though the Golden Eagle and Duck 

 Hawk are worthy of report wherever 

 found, the interest in the raptores, 

 centers around that little group of 

 powerful arctic hawks, the Jerfalcons. 

 Rivaling the Goshawk in size, ranging 

 from the purity of the Snowy Owl, to 

 an unbroken dusky shade. Their re- 

 lationships are somewhat questionable. 

 They visit our State on rare occasions, 

 during the cold season. The Horned 

 Owls are deserving of attention and 

 all very dark and very light speci- 



