190 
General Notes. 
of Captain McGregor’s quarters. He is quite a lover of birds, and has 
three canaries, their cages hanging against one of the side windows. The 
little Finch on the roof evidently had heard them singing, and was, at the 
moment when I noticed him, showing what he could do in that line. He 
evidently saw the birds in their cage, as every once in a while he stretched 
his neck and looked down in the direction of the window. Its song was 
quite varied, low, and sweet, but feeble and without much volume. It 
was still quite a fair and very pleasant song. I was quite surprised, and 
listened to him for full five minutes. This was the first time I have 
heard any making an attempt to sing.” — T. M. Brewer, Boston , Mass. 
The Short-tailed Tern ( Hydrochelidon fissipes ) in Massachusetts. 
— In view of the fact that the Short-tailed Tern has been heretofore con- 
sidered a rare visitor to Massachusetts, it may be of interest to state that 
during a week spent on the island of Nantucket in August, 1878, a large 
number of specimens were observed by the writer. On August 16 no less 
than eight individuals were seen in the harbor near the town, and several 
were shot and examined. On every subsequent occasion when the shores 
of the island were visited small companies of these Terns were seen, 
sitting on the sand-bars, or fishing among the other and commoner species. 
They associated most commonly with the Wilson’s and Roseate Terns, and 
procured their food in the same way, hovering over the “ schools ” of blue- 
fish and pouncing upon the small fry which these voracious creatures drove 
to the surface. The stomachs of all the specimens which were dissected 
contained the macerated remains of small fishes only. In no case were 
any insects detected. — William Brewster, Cambridge , Mass. 
The Black-throated Bunting ( Euspiza americana). — On page 45 of 
the present volume of the Bulletin reference is had to the finding the nest 
and eggs of this bird in Medford, in June, 1877, and the remark is made 
that but few instances are known of this bird nesting in Massachusetts. 
Without disputing this statement, I would mention that in 1833 and 1834 
this bird was by no means uncommon in Cambridge in all the (then un- 
occupied) region around the Botanical Garden and thence to West Cam- 
bridge and Charlestown. It may be found now every summer on the high 
promontory making the northeast corner of Hingham, known as Planter’s 
Hill and World’s-End, lying between Weir River and the harbor. Men- 
tion is made of its breeding in that locality in “North American Birds” 
(Yol. II, page 67, lines 2 and 3), and since then its presence has been noted 
every season when search has been made. In order to verify its presence 
in this its favorite locality, this summer I made a successful exploration, 
June 30, in company with my nephew, Willard S. Brewer. We found 
one pair, with young, which the female was busily engaged in feeding 
with small grasshoppers, while the male was intent upon his quaint 
serenade on a near heap of stones. They were quite tame and unsus- 
picious, and permitted a very close approach. We saw two other males, 
