Brewer.] 254 [October 3, 



This bird I flushed, like a snipe, from some short thick grass on the 

 edge of this pond-hole. I regard my meeting with it there as purely- 

 accidental, and only owing to its disabled condition. 



" No. 2. i Eagle Hill Slough,' a regular salt marsh, on Ipswich 

 Great Neck, Plum Island River side, Sept. 8, 1871, alone, sex not 

 ascertained. 



"No. 3. Same locality, alone, though I obtained a variety of 

 other waders during the day. Sex not noted, August 12, 1872. 

 This species is not considered rare by Ipswich gunners, most of whom 

 take a few every fall. It is known with them as the Bastard Yellow- 

 leg, though its legs are black. I also saw two shot by a market gun- 

 ner, same place and season. I spent nine weeks that autumn at 

 Ipswich, and made notes of the rare birds. 



"No. 4. Same locality, a solitary bird, sex not ascertained, Sept. 

 18, 1873. 



"No. 5. Swampscott Slough, or Farmer's Pond, a slough pond, 

 mostly fresh water, near Phillip's Beach; alone, ?, Sept. 29, 1874. 



" No. 6. Same locality as No. 5, alone, male taken in 1875. This 

 specimen is mounted and in the collection of Mr. A. F. Gray, Dan- 

 versport, who has full data. 



"No. 7. Same locality, Aug. 23, 1876. There were two, being 

 the second time I have seen them other than singly. 



" No. 8. Same locality, alone, sex not noted." 



Within a few days I have received very interesting additional 

 information from Mr. Newcomb, and I quote from his letter of Au- 

 gust 27. " I beg leave to call your attention to what appears to be 

 the increasing occurrence of the M. himantopus in this vicinity 

 (Salem), or rather county, particularly at Eagle Hill, Ipswich. A 

 friend of mine, during the latter part of July, the 30th I think, 

 while gunning at Ipswich, shot seven out of a flock that came into 

 his decoys. I purchased three fine specimens. There were said to 

 be about a dozen in this flock. I have never met with more than two 

 at any one time together, but I have no reason to doubt my friend, 

 who is Mr. Andrew O. Gardner. Another friend, Mr. Daniel B. 

 Webster, shot one at Swampscott on the 8th of August. All these 

 specimens in both instances were males. I think that later in the 

 season there would have been females, as both in spring and fall, 

 with shore birds, and indeed many other classes, the males migrate 

 first. Certainly, in the fall the females and the young come after the 

 males." 



