General'- Notes, 
Correction. — In my article on the Black-bellied Plover, on page 148 of 
‘The Auk’ for April, 1892, speaking of the abundance of these birds in the 
neighborhood of Tuckernuck Island, Mass., it redds, “from a flock of 
about twenty-five birds, which served as the nucleus, they continued to 
increase until six to eight hundred had collected, the average number in 
the spring for fifteen years previous being two to three hundred.” It 
should read, “They continued to increase until about two or three hundred 
had collected. The average number in the spring for fifteen years previous 
being about one hundred.” On page 143 it reads, “ The adult female is 
rather smaller than the male,” It should read, “The adult female is 
about same size as the male. These errors are entirely my own. — George 
H. Mackay, Nantucket, Mass. Auk 9, July , 1892. p.3CO 
W ator Bir •.:£•, Nantucket, Mass. 
G eorge H. Mackay. 
General Notes. 
Charadrius squatarola. — During the northwest rain storm of May 19, • 
20, and 21, 1892, about one hundred and fifty Black-bellied Plover; 
landed on Tuckernuck Island. By the 26th more than half of them had 
departed. The first one this spring was noted on the ninth of May in this 1 
locality. The birds in the vicinity of Tuckernuck have resorted to the 
uplands more than usual this year. The first one noted on Cape Cod 
was on April 20, 1892. It was alone, and was an adult male. No others : 
were seen for several weeks after, but this one remained around undis- ] 
turbed. This is the earliest date I h ave ev er he ard of. 
Auk .9 .July, 1892> p<30e 
Gaiitral Not#s 
Charadrius squatarola. — Mr. William Everett of Dorchester, Mass., has 
furnished me with the following information. At Malpeque, Prince 
Edward Island, August 22, 1892, during mild, pleasant weather, a very 
large flight of Black-bellied Plover appeared, the number that landed being 
estimated at about one thousand. It was composed entirely of adults with 
black, and black-and-white, breasts. They established themselves in sev- 
eral fields at Lower Malpeque where they are locally known as ‘Sea Plover.' 
On the night of Sept. 14, 1892, it rained and was misty with southwest 
wind. On the next day the greatest number of young birds that was ever 
noted in this vicinity at one time was seen in and flying about the fields of 
Lower Malpeque. While driving around late in the afternoon as many as 
one thousand birds (estimated) were seen in four fields. Many others 
were noticed flying, which did not stop. All the adults mentioned above 
and which also had frequented the same fields where the young birds 
were now, had previously departed. — George H. Mackay, Nantucket , 
Mass. 
Auk X. Jan, 1893. p.79. 
General Notes. 
Stray Notes from vicinity of Muskeget 
Island, Mass. George H. Mackay. 
Stray Notes from the vicinity of Muskeget Island, Massachusetts.— 
Charadrius squatarola.— Tuckernuck Island, May io, 1893. While in 
my stand today, which faced a large sand' fiat recently exposed by the re- 
heating tide, I perceived Black-bellied Plover picking up some large worms 
which they held wriggling in their bills before swallowing. Never before 
having seen them eat such, I secured several for identification. They are 
locally known as ‘cod worms,’ and resemble a centipede, being flat to oval, 
their sides being fringed with legs. In color they vary from a blood red to 
a diity brown. They are from four to six and a quarter inches long. 
Ihese worms first make their appearance on the fiats in shoal water during j 
the latter part of March, and they disappear early in June. Mr. Samuel j 
Henshaw of the Boston Society of Natural .History has kindly identified 
them as Nereis, the clam worm of the fisherman. Auk X. Oct, 1893 p 370. 
2 .f 
