General Notes 
The Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts in x8g2. — 
At Nantucket, Aug. 18, a flock of fifteen Golden Plover was seen, the first 
noted this season. Aug. 20 , 1 saw five scattered birds. I think there must 
have been a storm at sea recently, for the surf was running high and 
breaking over the beaches into the ponds near the shore on the south side 
of the island, notwithstanding the fresh north wind. Large numbers of 
birds must have passed over the island tonight, as they have been heard 
whistling during the greater part of the night; none stopped. This was 
the first movement noticed this season. In the afternoon the wind 
changed to west by south, clear, warmer and pleasant. 
Aug. 25 I saw a flock of twenty two, and shot three of them. The wind 
was south by east, fresh, in the forenoon; more moderate in the after- 
noon ; the weather was thick outside the island, barometer 29.75 and 
falling. Aug. 26, I was driving over the Plover ground at daylight. The 
wind remained southeast up to 3.30 a.m. ; at 4.10 a.m. a thunder and 
lightning squall with severe rain and wind came blowing north by east; 
the wind remained so until eight a.m. when it hauled northeast, moderate 
and warm ; at one p.m. wind hauled east and it commenced to rain again, 
having ceased from eight a.m. until this time. I saw one flock of fifteen, 
another of nine, another of twelve, and two or three scattering birds ; 
during the afternoon the wind was blowing at the rate of thirty-seven 
miles an hour with hard rain. A large number of Golden Plover landed 
at night, this being the second movement. Aug. 27, I was out at day- 
light. The weather was very thick, with wind northeast and a little rain. 
I saw a good many Plover, in fact more than for the past three years put 
together. In the afternoon the wind backed to north by west, and later 
to north, the weather continuing thick, almost rain at times. Much to 
my surprise I saw one flock of about fifty birds go up in the air and leave 
on migration, evidently not liking the surroundings. About three 
hundred birds were shot that day on Nantucket and Tuckernuck Islands. 
The greater part of the birds left in the afternoon and night. I hardly 
expected they would go, although the wind was fair (north), for the 
weather was very unsettled. I judge they considered anything preferable 
to remaining, as they were being greatly harassed. I never in my expe- 
rience knew the Plover to be so restless and unwilling to remain as they 
appeared to be. Instead of coursing over the ground low down, as is 
their usual custom after landing, they kept up in the air, in great part at 
an altitude of forty to one hundred yards, evincing the strongest disposi- 
tion to continue migration, notwithstanding the unsettled condition of 
the weather, which did not apparently warrant their leaving. I noticed 
also that most of the flocks led to the windward, which is the reverse of 
what is usually the case when here. 
Aug. 28, I was driving over the ground as usual at daylight. The wind 
was north, and increasing, the weather very misty with rain at intervals 
during the greater part of the day. The only birds left were some scatter- 
ing flocks and about seventy to one hundred birds in a field which is 
preserved. No one shot many birds, and the aggregate killed was very 
small. Aug. 31, the only birds seen were those living in the field which 
is preserved. Sept. 1, I drove over the western ground and saw about a 
dozen Plover altogether, one of which was a Palebelly (young bird), the 
first for this.season. The wind was west by north, then west, from which 
point it backed to northeast. On Sept. 2 and 3 there was nothing to 
note. 
