JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



But the first winter plumage ex- 

 amples of the two, intergrade in size 

 and coloration, so completely that the 

 utmost care is required to discrimi- 

 nate between them. 



Collectors of the seabirds should 

 neglect no opportunity to examine the 

 Sea Pigeons in winter, hoping thereby 

 to obtain Mandt's Guillemot. The 

 species (?) having its greater wing 

 coverts white to their extreme bases. 

 Attention may be briefly called to that 

 largest of the gull chasers, Megalistris 

 skua which has few North American 

 records. This should be looked for off 

 the coast and reported with the full- 

 est possible data. 



Among the gulls there is still room 

 for original work in the determina- 

 tion of the status of certain alleged 

 species and subspecies with perhaps 

 the results of eliminating of certain 

 names now current, (a superfluous 

 name is a burden and he who disposes 

 of one is a benefactor to the cause.) 

 Maine affords a rich field for the stud- 

 ent of this group and especial atten- 

 tion should be directed to the collec- 

 tion of the immature stages of plum- 

 age of the different species visiting 

 our coast. Observations should also 

 be made and preserved of the extent 

 of the visitations of boreal forms to 

 our limits, together with their times of 

 arrival and periods of sojourning and 

 their feeding grounds. Called to- 

 gether as the gulls are, by common 

 interests, such as the schooling of 

 fishes, the rising and falling of the 

 tides, storms, gales and other causes 

 they mingle in great companies, yet 

 the observer can detect specific pref- 

 erences for companionship, feeding 

 grounds, resting places, etc. An 

 elaboration of extended observations 

 of this kind might be turned to good 

 service in collecting the different 

 species. The Roseate Tern has a rec- 

 ord as a Maine bird, not as fully un- 

 derstood as it is to be hoped that 



it may soon be. The deplorable de- 

 struction of the terns of all species 

 within the last fifteen years and utter 

 annihilation of many of the largest 

 colonies has of course removed much 

 of the means of a full tabulation of 

 this bird's breeding range within our 

 limits. Hence all authentic data 

 should be recorded. Need attention be 

 called to the meagerness of our know- 

 ledge of the entire group of Petrels 

 visiting our coast? 



Which of the species occur within 

 the limits of this State and under what 

 conditions? Which of the little 

 known ones are stragglers, and which 

 are regular visitants or seasonal resi- 

 dents? Where are their feeding 

 grounds and where are their routes 

 of migration. 



Eight years ago (Wm. Palmer, Auk. 

 XIV, P. 2, 97) a new species was add- 

 ed to the fauna of the Atlantic coast 

 of the United States and since that 

 time, nothing has come to light con- 

 cerning it. Though pelagic birds, 

 specimens occasionally are blown or 

 wander well inland. So all may well 

 be on the lookout for them. 



Among the ducks we have as yet 

 no Maine record for the European 

 Teal, a species not infrequently stray- 

 ing to northern North America, 

 reaching Massachusetts occasionally. 

 Great care should be exercised to dis- 

 tinguish it from the common Green 

 Winged species. Careful attention 

 directed to the Goldeneyes, especially 

 the young males and females, is like- 

 ly to bring to light a better know- 

 ledge of the status of*the Iceland or 

 Barrows Goldeye. 



Cory's Bittern should be looked for 

 in Maine, among its relatives. On'y 

 about fifteen specimens are known, 

 several from Toronto, Canada. 



It is perhaps a trifle smaller than 

 the Least Bittern and has the buffy 

 tints of that species replaced with 

 rufous chestnut and is strikingly dark- 



