^8 Birds of Massachusetts 



mer years " ; ^ Nantucket^ one shot March 4, 1878, on Coskata Pond 

 by Mr. F. B. Chadwick, and in the possession of- Mr. A. S. Sweet 

 of Nantucket : it was first seen on Sacacha Pond, on December 27; 

 1877 ; ^ Somerset, five were seen flying over on October 16, 1880, by 

 Elisha Slade;3 Middkboro, a young bird, shot about December 27, 

 1885 ; * Weston, a male shot December 17, 1890, out of a flock of 

 seven by Michael McCarthy. The bird is now in the collection of 

 Mr. WilHam Brewster. ^ 



X13. iEx sponsa (Linn.). Wood Duck. 



A common summer resident, becoming rarer near the coast. 



March 20 to December 31. 



Amherst: "A common migrant, but a rare breeder." Berkshire :" Not 

 rare summer resident, but much less common than it used to be." Bris- 

 tol County: " Uncommon summer resident in the ponds, more common 

 on migrations." Brookline: Formerly a summer resident. Cambridge: 

 Common transient visitant, a few breed. Cohasset: "Rather rare but 

 occasionally breeding." Dedham: " Tolerably common." Essex County: 

 "Summer. Not abundant." Ipswich: "Summer resident on fresh 

 water portion of Ipswich River." Nantucket: " Rare." Springfield: 

 "Common summer resident." Templeton: "Common summer resi- 

 dent." Wellesley: " Common migrant. A few bi'eed." 



114. Chen caerulescens (Linn.). Blue Goose. 



Casual from the interior. The only record is : Gloucester, a 

 young female shot in or near Essex Creek, West Parish, October 

 29, 1876, and in the possession of Mr. William A. Jeffries.' 



115. Chen hyperborea (Pall.). Lesser Snow Goose. 



The status of this species and of Chen h. nivalis in this State is 

 not well understood. There is little doubt that the majority of 

 records for Snow Geese in Massachusetts are referable to Chen 

 hyperborea, and we prefer to let those indefinitely recorded, and 

 now beyond determination, as well as those more lately recorded, 

 stand under C. hyperborea. 



iMaynard; Nat. Guide, 1870, p. 146. 



' Brewster; Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. Ill, No. 4, Oct., 1878, pp. 198, 199. 



^Slade; Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol.' VI, No. 2, Apr., 1881, pp. 123, 124. 



" "_T." ; Forests Stream, Vol. XXV, Jan. 7, 1886, p. 466. 



* Brewster; Auk, Vol. VIII, No. 2, Apr., 1891, p. 232. 



« Jeffries ; Aiik, Vol. VI, No. i, Jan., 1889, p. 68. 



