80 BIRDS OF A MARYLAND FARM. 



LOONS. 



The common loon {Gavia imber) and the I'ed-throated loon {Gamia 

 lumme) hpve beer noted at Marshall Hall by Mr. William Palmer. 



MUEKES. 



The Briinnich miirre ( Urla lomvia) has been noted at Marshall Hall 

 by Mr. William Palmer. 



GULLS AND TEENS. 



The herring gull {Larus argentatus) and the ring-billed gull {Larus 

 delawarensis) occur on the river in the colder half of the year. Dur- 

 ing March and the first half of April it is not uncommon to see from 

 a dozen to twenty gulls floating between the farm and Mount Vernon 

 (PI. XVII, fig. 2), apparently busy fishing. The common tern {Sterna 

 hintndc) and the black tern {Ilydrochelidon nigra surinamensis) have 

 also been noted at Marshall Hall. 



DUCKS, GEESE, AND OTHER WATER FOWL. 



The following species of water fowl were noted on the river at 

 Marshall Hall: 



Red-breasted merganser (Merganser ser- Redhead (^j/ttj/a amencana). 



ratar). Canvasback [Aythyavallisneria), 1. 



Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucul- Scaaj) dnck (Aythya marila) . 



2. Lesser scaup duck {Aythya affinis), 1. 



MallHrd {Anas boschas). Golden-eye [Clangula clangula ameri- 



Black duck (^ncts o5sc«ra). cana). 



Baldpate {Mareca americana); 1. Buffle-head {Charitonetta albeola). 



Green-winged teal (iVeMiore crtroKnen^s). Old-squaw {Harelda hyemalis). Noted 



Blue-winged teal ( Que.rquedula discors) . by Mr. William Palmer. 



Shoveller (Spatula clypeata). Cunnda goose (Srania canadensis). 



Pintail (Dafila acuta). Whistling swan (Olor columbianus) , 1. 

 Wood duck (Aix sponsa). 



Ducks were so abundant here before the civil war that they were 

 regularly counted on for the larder. As late as 1864 and 1865 it was 

 not uncommon in November to find a flock of 160 scaup ducks in the 

 little bay by the calamus swamp, and in the same place ten years ear- 

 lier as many as 15 canvasbacks were killed at a shot. It is now rare 

 for half a dozen ducks of the commonest species to settle in the bay. 

 Across the river on the Mount Vernon flats (PI. XVII, fig. 2), where 

 there is an abundance of wild celery ( Vallisneria spiralis), flocks of 

 from 25 to 200 ducks are occasionally seen, but they are so contin- 

 uously fusiladed from launches that run down from Washington and 

 Alexandria that they are soon killed or driven away. Much worse 

 slaughter is wrought by the ' big' gun at night or in the early dawn. 

 These 'big' guns are in reality cannon mounted in gunning skifl^s. 



