Point Lepreaux, N.B. [Point Lepreau, New Brunswick]
1876
(April 19 [April 19, 1876]) & lay dead upon the surface. Upon
picking it up my chagrin was excessive
to find it worthless as a specimen for
the lower mandible was entirely gone
_ fairly torn out by the roots probably
out off by a rifle ball, and evidently
done only a few hours before.
I heard to day the note of O. fusca [Oidemia fusca]
several times: it is a hac-ha-hac
very like the note of O. perspicillata [Oidemia perspicillata]
but a little higher. Saw a few
scattering eider ducks around the
ledge but no flocks passed to day.
Spent the P.M. packing up for
our start home to morrow. The
appearance of a flock of O. perspicillata [Oidemia perspicillata]
as they come up to the boat is very
beautiful, the heads of the males appearing
snow white. A very remarkable fact
is the discrepancy of the sexes in the
flocks of coot we have seen here.
Only two females have been shot &
but rarely more than two or three are
seen in flock: indeed frequently flocks
of twenty or more are composed entirely
of males. Last night being very dark
we went out to see the small birds
come against the light house & a most
interesting sight it was. Sparrows of several
species kept coming up like moths around
a candle & every now & then one would
dash against  the glass & fluttering a moment
fall to the ground. Some more wary kept
coming & going from the streak of light but
avoided too close contact. I caught a Junco
easily as it fluttered against the window.