ISS 3 .] 
Ge?ieral Notes. 
243 
have been killed since. As stated in “New England Bird Life,” where 
may be found the record of the species for this section, it appears to be a 
more frequent visitor than either the Snowy or Little Blue Heron. 
I know of no record of the occurrence in New England of the Louisiana 
Heron or Reddish Egret. — H. A. Purdie, Boston, Mass. 
Herodias egretta at Amherst. — I record with pleasure that while 
I was away from home, recently, three of these beautiful and rare birds 
were seen in the swamp about what we here call “Hadley Pond.” One 
of these, a fine specimen, was shot and purchased for the Amherst Col- 
lege collection. It is now being stuffed at Mr. O. B. Deane’s at Spring- 
field. I do not recall that the bird has been authentically noted from this 
State since 1875, at Plymouth, Mass. The Amherst specimen was taken 
within a day or two of Aug. 27. — W. A. Stearns, Amherst , Mass. 
Wilson’s Snipe ( Gallinago toilsoni) Nesting in Massachusetts. — 
As I was hunting for Least Bitterns’ nests in one of our swamps in 
Brookline, where they breed in considerable numbers, — that is, I found 
three nests this year there, one with three eggs, the other two with five 
youngones apiece, — I thought I would leave the sedges where they build 
and look among the high grass, which grows at the side of the marsh 
for a Carolina Rail’s nest. Just on the border of the grass I started up a 
Snipe, that seemed to me to sit closer than usual and in a very curious 
manner. She came very near to me, chiding me as if in great trouble. 
I looked in the grass very carefully and finally found her nest, with four 
half-grown young birds, which, when I approached, scampered off 
among the high grass which surrounded the nest. They seemed to be 
able to run about and take care of themselves perfectly well. The date 
was the 18th or 19th of June. I cannot be sure which, as I have mislaid my 
book in which it was entered. I think the eggs must have been laid 
about the second or third week in May, which seems to me quite early. — 
Nathaniel A. Francis. Boston , Mass. 
Baird’s Sandpiper at Scarborough, Maine. — Two immature ex- 
amples of Baird’s Sandpiper ( Actodromas bairdi.') were shot at Little 
River, Scarborough, on September 11, 1883, by mv friends Messrs. Win- 
throp Root and Fred. Mead, who gave me an opportunity of examining 
their specimens in the flesh. The birds were killed together, but were 
unaccompained bv others of any species. 
It will be remembered that, up to the present time, but one instance 
has been recorded* of the occurrence of Baird’s Sandpiper on the Maine 
coast. — Nathan Clifford Brown, Portland , Maine. 
* See this Bulletin, Vol. II, p. 28; also Proc. Portland Soc. Nat. Hist., April, 1883. 
