Hydro. plumbea [Hydrochelidon plumbea], Qur. discors. [Querquedula discors]
Aix sponsa
Nantucket.
1875.
Sept. 25 [September 25, 1875] Clear and a lovely day. Wind S. [south] and
pretty strong. Off after breakfast
in the wagon with Stone & Fisher.
Saw nothing of interest until we
reached Long pond when as we
were driving across the bridge two
wood duck jumped from among the
rushes and I knocked over one of
them from the wagon, getting a chance
with one barrel only: the survivor
was joined by a teal (Quer. discors [Querquedula discors])
and both lighted in a little pond
hole surrounded by high grass where
I stalked them with ease and killed
both at a shot as they sat on the
water. Keeping on we had nearly
reached Smith's point when a
curlew (N. Hudsonicus [Numenius hudsonicus]) rose from
among some moss & beach grass on
a sand flat and flying only a
few yards lit and squatted within
20 yds. [yards] of us where I killed him
dead with a light charge of No. 8
At Smith's point we found multitudes
of terns and I killed 4 S. Hirundo [Sterna hirundo]
one of them a young bird barely
able to fly. The carrying of fish about
in the bill seems to be a regular
habit as I saw both young & adlt. [adult]
so engaged. Saw a few S. paradisea [Sterna paradisea]
but failed in getting any. Also saw
distinctly a H. plumbea [Hydrochelidon plumbea] flying
in a flock of the common tern.
A few A. melodus [Aegialitis melodus] were again 
observed and sandling [sanderling] were very numerous.