250 
General Notes. 
contained two birds but no egg. When taken from the holes the birds 
showed no disposition to fly but on being released would scurry back into 
their holes or under some log. They appeared to be completely dazzled 
by the light, and if thrown into the air would fly in an aimless and dazed 
way for a few moments, very much, after the manner of a Night Hawk 
when thrown from the limb of a tree. 
In a letter written by Mr. Manly Hardy of Brewer, Me., to Mr. William 
Brewster, and quoted by the latter gentleman in the Bulletin for 1881 
(Vol. VI, p. 125), Mr. Hardy says “the males do most if not all the incu- 
bating,” but he further says that of twelve specimens taken from the nest 
and sent him June 15, 1880 , five proved to be females. Having this com- 
munication in mind, my friend (Mr. N. A. Eddy) and myself thought to 
investigate a little, and to this end took twelve birds from their nests. 
None of the forty-three found on their nests showed bare spots on the 
breast as described by Mr. Hardy, though our visit was on June 23, or 
about a week later than when Mr. Hardy’s birds were secured the year 
before, so our selections were entirely at random. Of the twelve birds 
eight were females and four males. One female and one male of those 
counted were from the burrow spoken of as 'without an egg, leaving to 
those taken from their eggs, seven females and three males. I have had 
others taken from the nest and sent me, and have found that the number 
of males and females was about equal. This would seem to indicate, — 
by Mr. Hardy’s testimony above quoted, — that both male and female share 
about equally the task of incubation and not that the male alone does most 
if not all of it. 
Collurio ludovicianus. Loggerhead Shrike. — These birds, which 
were first reported as breeding in this vicinity a few years ago, still continue 
to visit us, and were among our earliest arrivals last spring. I have taken 
two nests the past season, both of which were taken in the same location 
wljere they have been found breeding for several years past. It may not 
be without interest to state that these birds seem peculiarly partial to two 
or three localities in this vicinity. In these places I have almost always 
found them from early spring till late in the fall, while elsewhere about 
our city they are very rarely seen. 
Cotile riparia. Sand Swallow. — While examining some Sand Swal- 
low’s burrows on Cranberry Islands, this summer, three were found con- 
taining two nests each, each nest having in it fresh eggs. The finding of 
two nests with eggs in the same burrow struck me as somewhat remark- 
able and I thought it was perhaps worthy of notice. — Harry Merrill, 
Bangor , Maine. 
Destruction of Birds by a Storm while migrating. — April 2, 
1881, found me in a small schooner, on the passage from Brazos de San- 
tiago, Texas, to Mobile, Alabama. At about noon of that day the wind 
suddenly changed from east to north, and within an hour it was blowing 
a gale ; we were now about thirty miles south of the mouths of the Misis- 
sippi River, which would bring the vessel on a line with the river and the 
