Maboh i, 1883.] 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



88 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE. 



With Annotations of their Comparative Abundance, 



Dates of Migration, Breeding Habits, st( 



by evkiiuti SjtfOT 



92. Barlraiuian Semdpipi - ■ {ud.;liwr- 



mi'h In,,;//,, /•i,!,i Viklg B55, (V. 640, — Abundant. Arrives 



tmmfo 



in April tiinl early May. Breeds lipon tllCgrontld iii fields 

 and pashms, andlays four or luoielnrfEcggBwithune brown 



spots sparingly distributed. Ink' in May and early in .1 run.'. 

 The young; birds are well grown iu August. Tlie Bar- 

 tramian sandpipers are locally termed ' 'biublnnd plover" or 



"upland plover." Piping lite latter pari of &U| 



commence to wend their way toward lie smith, moving m 

 small floclis from the inland biveding pine i" li n in- 

 and fields along tlie const, and but few. it am , remain until 

 the month of October. Their movements, as well as their 

 cries during the love season, are peculiar, and such as to be 

 Witnessed at no tiler time of the year. Various evolutions 

 are performed in the air, and cries are altered which hear 



bis u i i hatcver to the familiar notes heard lain in 



In leasoti 



Sometime rising so high rn the air as i«. become nearl] 

 invisible, the bird will repeat these cries, circle about, swoop 

 with set wings somewhat in the manner of a nighfhawk. 

 etc. It is difficult to describe Hip cry usually uttered ' 

 times. A quick repetition of short, shrill whi-1 ... .,, 

 bling those of the fiih hawk ie followed ft • diminishing 

 decaescendb terminal note muth prolonged, Bui (•■- ol our 



wading birds arc so highly ' -u eine.d for food as ire these 



sandpipers, which roaj well nut with the woodcock and 

 snipe in this respect. Leaving Maine in vei'J t'ai donclition 

 during the mouth of September, the\ mitral, u, regains 

 beyond the southernmost limits of the'lJuited State- \Vhen 



returning, they arrive upon the Southern shores el 



lean condition and graj phunaKelhat their general tpfieai 

 met - i r hanged from that of the summer, 



193. Buff-breasted Sandpiper T^vga mfemnn And. : 

 TryngittB ntfeseenaTMi B5fl Cs 841.— Rare Although a 

 little larger than the sandpipers, most commonly known us 

 "peeps. "yet this bird is BO small a, to be given Utile rank as 



game, and.tbereforeitis probable that hut few ol those shol 



ever appear in the markets M are reported to ornithologists 



Yei the species is re iv, I, .-,- repo-scutcd h: eere. mnnha - and 

 iu Maine it is the rar- st of the sandpipei - known hen I 

 haye the following record of specimens -hot a1 S rrbori 

 Maine: Two in is,,!) by Caleb G. Loring. Jr., two in 1864 

 (one by the writer, August til, and the other September 31; 

 One August 21, INiili, by the writer-. My friend Nathan 



Clifford Brown has given the following additional record 



One ''shot out of a- flock of golden plover' Sepi 



ie in ' by Mr. .1. H. Bond in September, W5; 



one shot bv Mr. Henry Fletcher Augusl t. 1877, and one 

 shot by Mi-. Brown himself, September 1, 1877; one shot by 

 Charles E, Somerbv. Esq.., St ptember 1. 1883. 

 £94. Sanderling— Triaiga awawirf Aud. ; OaltdmnmM <i 



Ridg. 548; Cs. 02;. —Abundant along the coast during 

 autumn migrations, August and September, Locally known 

 as "beach bird-" Associating in Docks upon tin sand 

 beaches, 'the birds of this Bpecles may he distinguished 

 from the "peeps" by their largi -■- _ meral white appear- 

 tance of plumage (in autumn), and upon examination by the 

 ack of a hind toe. lite latter teatnM is peculiar to no other 

 species of our sandpiper-. The spring migration of the 

 sanderlings pasl the coast oi Maine is made far out at sea. 

 The sole instance of their occurrence on the shores of Maine 

 in spring thai t have learned of was at Searboro. May 30, 1**2, 

 A flock of eight was seen and live of them Were sliol 



195. Ruff, "Reeve— / , //'/7»///i«r-//«*y;»^,./rMo( bring; ,t/..-,-/e ,.> 

 piH/mw Ridg. 534, Cs. (139. — Accidental visitant from 

 Europe or Great Britain. Ruff is the name applied to the male 

 species, and reeve to the female. 1 shot a reeve at Searboro, 

 Maine, April 10, 1870, The bird was tdoue, flying swiftly 

 near the water, down the course of the Nonesuch River, 

 and uttered no cry. Although about to Shoot some ducks 

 its this bird passed inc. I sacrificed m y opportunity to pro- 

 cure the stranger. A specimen wa- shot at one of tint lakes 

 in Upton, Maine, Sepr.-mln r S, 1S74 Mr. Boardmafl has 

 reported the capture ol ■■ Specimen at the Bay of Fundv 

 and several other specimi us have been killed in Kew Eng- 

 land at various times and the fads, publicly reported, 



19H. Sported Sandpiper or Taller. •Teeter"— 7hO/,es 



—Abundant, Arrives' in early May. Breeds.' NJests upon 

 the, ground late in May and hi .June, and lays four buff c>rgs 

 blotched and spotted all over with dark brown, A neat neaU 

 of grass is usually made. The downy young are light drab 

 upon the upper parts, with a brownish black median line 

 from base of bill to tail. Straight black line each side of 

 bead, from nostril to rear of head, interrupted by eye. 

 Lower parts white. Feet flesh color. The 'teeters" are 

 generally distributed throughout Maine, about ihe inland 

 streams and lalfes as well as along the coast. 



t!)7. Solitary Sandpiper or 'J 'a tier— 7We/c»« saUt.triH* 

 Aud. ; MyasapJatiis soNtarim Ridg. 550, Cs. 038.— Com- 

 mon. Arrives in May. Frequents muddy ditches, wet 

 barnyards, etc., and is' sennet imp known locally as "barn- 

 yard plover." Some birds of thr- -pi eto- tvm-d'n in Maine 

 throughout the summer, and probably broed lien Itli ugh 

 the discovery of tlu?ir nests auU eggs here has noi been re- 

 ported as yet:, 



108. iaille Vcllowsbanks Tafler, 'feiiuwlei;" ; s, , 

 Jhvipi'.i And., Ridg. 54U, Cs, 031.-- Abundant during sum 

 mer and nnliiinu upon the marshes along the coast. Locally 



termed "summer yellow log." Vprymrcij seen inMahiein 



the spring, and the following record comprises all the notes 

 lhave of its occurrence here at that season or before fuly. 

 (Doubtless the Juno specimens were unusunlh. . ,-, turn 



arrivals from the north. This ,-pc jc- and h ,.■•' ■- - -1 

 HnjRo were ohBerved at ScaVboro, Me., July 5 ! s ^ Due 



May i. 1852; one Mav 20, 1853; four in IKoS (our: Ma\ t;.', 

 two May 1% one May 2oi one April " ; i, 1859; one May [ .'. 



1802; one,lunc24. 1803; one April. 30. 1864i one Jutt? 38, 



1877 



1 qnee procured a specimen With, the plumage of the 

 breeding season upon the second day of July, at an island 

 in the flay of Fundy, and saw --mother one 'apparently its 

 mate, at the same locaHty. 



Usually but few "yeliowlcgs" of this species arrive heic 

 during .luly, hul tlnroughoul tie- month oi iugUStUnd the 

 earlier pari ol Se[)li-mber they are generally abundant about 

 the marshes. For e.vlremctv late autumn dates of its occur- 

 rence here the following are notable; One October 7, 1858; 



three October 11, 1838; one October 31, 1 803 ; ; 



10, 1864; one October 14, 1881. 



199. Great YellowshanksTatler. " Yellowlej 



"ee,»;'»s And- Tirtiiiittx inelonolfiUCKA jR-idg, 048, Cs. 633.— 



Locally termed " wihtjs: yedowleg.'' Smndant during 



ratj autumn migratioUs, especially on i he marshes 



along the coast Arrived early in April, and the spring 



; lilt i I 'I- throughout fin; month and Moy. Hie 



iiutumii roignitiou occurs dining August, September, and 



I eh, Is ; The |ale-t rlaie I ieo e ft Q01 I )1 ftS UCUrtenCO is 



that of two specimens shot at BcarborOj Novemlier 5, 1801, 

 :i0ti. Semipalmated Taller. Wiflet— Ttthmi* SOmipnlfnttta 



Ami.; Symplwmia scmipalnmWi Ridg. 552, Cs. 6S2.— Wot 

 yen common. Summer visitant. 1 have tlie record of but 

 a single, instance of the occurrence of tliis species here in 



spring, a bird found at Searboro. May 21. t866. It is of not 



uiicoiinnou occurrence iu summer and aulumu. but appar- 

 ently rather atl irregular yisitanl, and the -pccii -., uc •• 



abundant here. 



201, Great Marbled Godwit— £/>- / < ;,-,.-„■,. Ami.; Limnw 

 fccdn Ridg 543, Cs, 628. -- Rare; occa wns . itanl Eron 

 the South. The following record it Q a 10 J ! of the occur- 

 rence of the species at Searboro, Maine: Tv, in 1852, one 

 in L855, one in tSoT. icn in 1882 (tWO shot Aug. 20, three 



Aug, 81, live Aug. 2:0 two In 1868 (one sjic-l Aug 13, one 

 Aug, 35), mie Apiil 20, 1865. The latter is tie sole rei ord 1 



have of I In- occurrence of the ,-|vpeics here in spring. 



202. Hudsouian Godvv ii • -• ■'■ -, r,< \ m! Qim ■■' 

 h&nioxlk'i'. Kirlg. 015, Cs. 029. — Kot uncommon at ihe Scar 

 boro niarslies" during the autumn niipxations, bul never 

 abundant, Xot seen "in spring. Sollietini localh termerl 

 "liranl bird" and also "spot rrrmp," on a- I OUIl! ol ' con 



,-jm- u,ou! « bite mark across base of tail 



308. Umgbjlcd CurlCT -A",e,e/o: ,-',. .,.,/. •.,,„',-,•,-■ And, 



Ridg. 558,. <Ts 648.— Occasional visitant ; iu si net (in 



common, My only record of its occorreucc here in spring 



is that of a single specimen .shot at Bcarboro, May 2, 1860." 

 304. Hudsouian Curlew, "Jack Cm-lev " "A" --, em '-':■ 

 huekoniem Aud Ridg 559, C- 645, — Common during 

 spring and autumn migrations Aritves in May. Never' 

 abundant here. 



200, Lsriuimauv I'mlcv, noueObmr ffuniewtt 



bun t'/is And., Ridg. 500, Ca (3 10.— Common riming pripji 

 aud autumn migrations. Irregularly abundant. Great 

 aUTObeVS Of crirlcws migrate along the coast of Maine far 

 out al sea. and only appear here upon the land when heavy 

 weather causes ihe'm to pause in their flight and pome to the 

 shore- 



[TO EE COXTtNLED.] 



Tue Phoebe's Night Sokg — .Ertitur Fond ,-t„d Htw<m 

 Anead 3 our "Visions of (be Kisrhf." does anyone elouh! th 

 dreaming capacity of birds and animal-'; 1 11 i,h. e-,,- : <!- 



pbcebe birdit is very evident tome that such islhcmcl 



Take a night in August or Seplembei aiel lan.-i yonrsel 



with melistCning to Nature's voice, after the world is aslet p, 



si arci is a breath stirs ihe freetops and the full rich moon- 

 light glistens on the dense foliage, easting the clearly cut 

 shadows of trunk and branch on the trrassy carpet below. 

 The air vibrates to the song oi myriads of Satydidij, whjlethe 



lonous and si.oi.hi",./ac,-om;'„-;:umcut comes' 1,0 us in legular 

 pulsations from the la. Then it is that you may hear 



the plicebe's VOlCC ringput from The dark aisles » he/eg Hie 



:';i:r;- 3? thesi: th; iiifc fdtW slumhared wisaaii;-,-- 

 Dick, 



Onto Btii-n AntuvAi.s,— East Randolph, (.1., Feb. IB. 



1883.— Saw two kildeer plover Hying north. This is the 

 earliest record 61 it! arrival in tins vicinity I ever heard of. 

 Weather warm, thermometer 65". Bluebirds, robins, and 

 crows arc here. Growahavehecn here all winter, and also 

 the song sparrow, whit b is now iu full song, It naaj not 

 be out of plaee here to give dates of earliest arrivals of blue- 

 bird during the past live successive years: Feb. 22. 18;k : 

 March 5. 1879: Feb. 17, 1880: Feb. 22.' 1881; Feb. 10. 1883; 

 Feb. 10. 188&V-A. Ham,. 



Imiff §ng m\d §m\. 



shmdd be ml- 

 7o., nnd vol 1,0 

 tmfttn ••/ hn- 



A HOLIDAY CRUISE TO MAINE. 



B.W'K you ever forgotten your first deer hunt? How 

 every article iu tire outfit was examined, criticized and 



rallied over again ami again, and that rifle was m such 

 prime condition thai its various parts seemed to be out on 

 dress parade, and had imbibed so much of your excitement 

 that you COUld actually feel a tremor running through its 

 Dm ii'bi 1. and hovv - but, of emirse, yourmemury has played 

 you no such prank, aud flic recollection is, undoubted' as 

 fresh at the present time as it was on that, memorable clay, 

 when you. while telling the boys that you. had brought the 

 rpiarry to camp, \ unlj trieck under an assumed air of mi- 

 concern, to hide that pardonable and natural pride of the 



For T have recently experienced my first deer hunt In 

 company with two Congenial spirits and fellow Students 

 Fred Todd ofMu'ltown, N. B., and Eaimdn J. Coulter, of 



Georgetown, Col., t hurried away from Ihe -s , aalls ol 



\\', : let; Boston al 9 \ M. r>e 33 1882, and after a 

 delightful ride reached Bangor, Me at8P M, At the 

 latter- place we transferred ourselves and telongmi loa 

 sleeper, and made all preparations for n It 1st y change 

 Adam junction, N' B,, to the sight train Eoi SI Stephens 

 and then turned iu. but aol to peao ful ■ luml er, for soar t 



had we sunk into the arms of Mcn-pheus, and ev 



fair opportunity had been given to aun b into sy b( 



mighty near' ni 



off with, all 1 



bo Wni through 



S trip iu its infancy, by 



we secured rooms and finished our interrupted Bleep. 

 Making a cautious surve-y in the morning we found that we 



ored in thoniiasl ol about n dozen housea ;md an 

 ocean of bare, blaoki I I mpa (the result of one of those 



1 Bros that so often swBpt over theao wooded coun 



tries) "Nol "i.K'h .-., ib. ,anl lobe found here," t h, ,u vtu 

 we; <>HelUiug back with the latest koccst 1 .vxn Stukam, 

 we gave ourselves over to its pages. But mine host, Capt. 



!""' 1 aims! Ii a jolly good fellow, aud enierlnined 



us with not a few stories "i hear ami doer bunting, and re- 

 ported that deer Were plenty in tlm adjoining country, so 

 that the lime ambled along very pleasantly until the 'train 

 hove in sight. To Harmony and myself this "down Fast" 

 trip was an entirely new experience, and if was with a deal 

 of pleasure thai we took note of the, country, the people, 

 and their dress. 



Have you, reader, ever been down this way'.' If so you 

 will recall the many Dm specimens of manhood that 'ap- 

 peared at every station as you hurried toward the wilder- 

 ness After leaving Hanger 'h. great interests of the people 

 are ''entered in their forests, and lull.v nine tenths of the 

 inhabitants fn the immt da ■'■ -0 initj of the g<< it fl tti 

 ways an- interested, in --,,,-,,- e ; ,yor other in the lumber 



It-aoe. 1 IllS Of I'M' •■■' ■ 1 'i' 1 ' -a ■' deal Of out-door 



life; the result of this netivi esen ise is plainly seen in the 

 natives. Thej had long m-edonue'd their winter garb.and 



v\ ith tin- bod's :-ie ' ■ ■'. in uilirierons >!ii, tS and 



thick homespun, and with feet inclosed in their fancifully 

 colored toctings and Iarakins, many of the costumes were 



really picturesque. At about 8 P. M. of the same day wi 

 is d ,..eo 0. si St-ephmis, a city which with two others 

 (Cidai;. and, Millfovni, carsfitnte what, is known as the 

 Union 



These places, distributed on the east and west, banks of 

 ile; Si Oldts, arc connected, by three bridges and with each 

 1 - in riii--- """!" are the scene of bustling activity; the many 

 thousand feet of lumi-r felled iround the head-waters and 

 branches of the Si. Croj.v are rafted down, and here meet 

 their arch unemj tilt 61 - P '■ ''■' --o'. . 



H, is needless to say that al JElltowu, al the residence of 

 Ml', Charles J 1 . Todd, a most, hearty welcome awaited us, 

 foi any one who baa had the gOOd fortune tti tarry with him 

 lies always carried iv ty tin mosl pleasant memories. Wh- 

 remained at Air. Todd's until the 20th; m the meantime all 

 the necessary paraphernalia had been coilecled, and it was 

 with no little pleasure that: we si,-,-.ey ed mir kit, and liaslih 

 - --v snowshoes, axes, guns, etc., into oneof those 



was only after' 



and our united persuasive 



i.-i ■ ifed void lis bore 



atrenuoua a 

 powers that w 



bach tin: shell-: in triumph. 



Upon reaching McAdam Junction, at about 2 A. M., the 

 bracing news greeted us that the night train had bseu takeu 

 off, compelling us to make this our headquarters for the 

 time being; so rousing the inmates of the -function House, 



which 



1 the 



each with as pairs of woolen stockings under our moccasins, 

 deposited ourselves in the interstices of the baggage and 

 started for Princeton, tte,, twentj miles away, where wc 

 met our odd. Mitchell Bewej by name, a tali, nuiscular 

 1 1, 1 lies , ■ de Passamaofuoddytn.be. He proved himself 

 thoroughly acquainted With the country and with the most 

 likely places for jame, m the same time an intelligent, hard 

 worliingfellow. 1 feel no hesitation in recommending him 



Lcaviiej i'l-ine-cron at, about ft ,\. M., wc drove rapidly 

 across Lewey's and Big lakes to Grand Lake Stream, twelve 

 miles distant Here is located one of the State hatcheries. 

 AVe- were not able to inspect very thoroughly, but found 

 everything in excellent working order, ami were gratified In 

 hear of the good results of ih.-ir work. Moy it keep on. 



From Grand Lake Stream, under the direction of the guide, 

 we struck oil' on a barkroad for a logging camp, fourteen 

 miles off, known to be in the center of a great deer country. 

 Oh! the horrors of that bark road, the worst corduroy "in 

 the country eotiM not equal it. After unsuccessfully toys 

 ing to hang 01s the puny; we all, with the exception of the 

 onedriving, got out and walked. The sleigh was firs! up. 

 ami then down, with a soul-stirring plunge, then a violent 



from tl 

 unpxpe 



ie pit 

 .ike. 



t Of the baggage was the inevitable result, and 



destination, night closed in upon us Tlie prospect of spend 

 ing the night in tlic-e woods with flic thermometer loafing 

 around (he zero point, seemed to gain ground as we went 

 on; for roads crossed and branched oil' from tlie one we were 

 on in 1tie most perplexing confusion. The thought was not 

 at all inspiring, for wc were more than tired after our hard 

 day's travel, and our horse was nearly tuckered. We were 

 more in sympathy with this faithful animal than with our- 

 ;-:ek e :, and I'e-arcel the consequences of the night bivouac for 

 its sake, 



The guide kept far ahead, and with Ihe aid of a torch c.v 

 plored most o1 tie- roads-: so keeping up a steady trudging 

 and following his directions, at about 8 P. M. the most wel- 

 come sight. of smoke from, a logging camp met our eager 

 gaze: with a "view Hullo" wc lost no lime in ensconcing 



The hospitalities of lis: woodmen arc proverbial; rough 

 and uncouth as they are, they always share with you a 

 generous portion of their lor. Their welcome appeals 

 directly to the heart Said member generally being reached 

 ;h the stomach 



Che cook bustled around and soon had a. piping hot supper 

 of beans, camp bread, and tea sweetened with molasses. 



No mail: 1 -..jcii tie p.'.-'; strike one of these camps, 



the first question plumped at hun 1st "Will, stranger, lied 



anthing 1 ? ''■'' 1 categories seem to be of minor 



importance An hour or so was apeut in pleasant chat over 



the prospects foi gl OH mdin making all preparations for 

 the morrow'.--, eatiy start. The choppers had seen deer quite 

 often while- going to and from work, though, many doubts 

 were expressed as to our chances for capturing one. ihe 

 snow being hardly deep enough for snow -shoeing" but mak- 

 ing very uncomfortable walking; it would be necessary to 

 exercisethi utmost skill in .still-hauling, and meet cunning 

 ;vith cunning, after a pleasant talk Todd and Harmony 

 ,iei,,,-,ii,-i ..be,,, ,-,,,.. m, 1 ;,. bunk (better known as. the rams 



pasture) With the men. 



There were ten men in the gang all told, under the leader- 

 ahip-.ol .io.luii Crockett, of who in 1 shall write hereafter. 

 I i b ;:i occupied 'In larger portiou of one side of the 

 camp, and had a thick mattress of spruce and hemlock 

 boughs '■■'■■ lime is lost in disrobing iu the Woods, the 

 i-etiiicc... .jo,. ,.; e, „ iiizatiou are left in the settlements- taking 

 "it moccasins, and dislodgirut yourself from four or live 



pail Of tOCll pit tSS the' necessary toilet, 



wrapping yourself in a blanket, you soon, on those aromatic, 

 boughs, sleep the sleep of the blessed. 



I stayed up a while longer and burled my cranium in 

 Flallock's "Sportsman's Gazetteer," in order to glean add t- 



