1877.] 253 [Brewer. 



In a letter from this careful and observing naturalist, written in 

 July last, he informs me that he has shot, in all, about twenty speci- 

 mens, and has usually found them associated with G. Jlavipes, but 

 never, so far as he can recall, with G. melanoleucus. He has often 

 seen and shot solitary individuals, and several times has had a pair 

 come in together to his decoys. He is confident that he has received 

 specimens said to have come from all parts of Cape Cod, and adds 

 that most of the gunners at Chatham profess to know this bird 

 well, and to have shot it frequently. Mr. Brewster has seen 

 bunches of six sent in to the Quincy market unmixed with any other 

 species, from which he naturally infers that they were all shot at one 

 time, and probably from one flock. I hear from other quarters of 

 gunners on the Cape who claim to have shot this bird, but so far I 

 am without any tangible positive proof of the correctness of this 

 claim, such as the identity of the bird, the time, place and witness. 



In August, 1872, I was witness to the capture of two specimens 

 among the Elizabeth Islands. Each bird was shot in a flock of Gam- 

 betta Jlavipes, and was without any companion of its kind. In each 

 instance it was a new bird to the gunner who procured it. In a major- 

 ity of instances it is unfamiliar to experienced gunners to whom I 

 have shown specimens. 



Mr. O. Fuller (Naturalist, v, 727) refers to a single specimen 

 taken at Needham, Mass., July 24th, 1871, in company with a soli- 

 tary sandpiper. 



Mr. E. L. Newcomb of Salem, a good ornithologist and a diligent 

 collector, has kindly furnished me with interesting memoranda of his 

 observations relative to this bird in Massachusetts. He has never met 

 with this species in the spring, nor is he aware of its having ever 

 been taken prior to August 4th. During the spring of 1873, he 

 spent seven weeks about Ipswich, Plum Island and Rowley, but he 

 neither saw nor heard of a single individual of this species. He has 

 collected in Maine, during the months of August and Sept., 1874, 

 but never met with this bird. He has never met with it in flocks 

 (except of other species ; in such cases generally the Yellow-leg), for 

 the most part singly, twice only in couples. I add a summary of Mr. 

 Newcomb's memoranda: 



"I have collected since Oct. 21st, 1869, but did not meet with this 

 species until 1871. 



"No. 1. Juniper Pond, Salem Neck, Aug. 4, 1871. A fine male 

 bird in thin flesh, which had been previously crippled in its right leg. 



