78 
General Notes. 
r Auk 
L Jan. 
The 1894 Migration of Charadrius dominicus in Massachusetts. — The 
season of 1894 was unusually dry and warm, with entire absence of storms, 
moderate, pleasant weather prevailing throughout the entire migrating 
period, thus rendering it a matter of inclination, rather than necessity, 
that any American Golden Plovers ( Charadrius dominicus ) or Eskimo 
Curlews ( Numenius borealis ) should temporarily stop on the islands 
composing the group of which Nantucket is one. As a result but few 
Plovers did tarry, and no Eskimo Curlews. At Nantucket, August 18, 
1894, the weather was clear with southwest winds; on the 19th nearly 
clear with a very light fog during a portion of the day, wind southwest. 
The first Golden Plovers were observed to-day passing over the eastern 
portion of the island, headed towards the south. Two flocks were seen, 
estimated to contain, respectively, fifty and thirty birds; none stopped. 
There was an unusual large area of land burned over this season, more 
than I have ever known before, which should have proved particularly 
attractive to these birds as a resort. It was in consequence expected that 
many would stop which otherwise would have kept on. These hopes, 
however, were not realized. From the 19th to the 24th no birds were 
observed. During the night of the latter date, the wind having been 
westerly with some south in it at intervals, a few Plovers were heard 
passing over the town of Nantucket, but none stopped. Although 
out almost every day I have nothing to record until the 26th, when I saw 
four birds ; wind southwest, calm, foggy outside the islands. As near as 
I can ascertain there are only about a dozen Plovers on the island and 
only four shot up to date. 
August 29. Wind northeast to southeast, very light. A few Plovers 
passed over the town last night, and five were seen to-day. Also at sun- 
down eight flocks were noted flying towards the west, the estimated 
numbers of which were seventy to twenty in a flock. None stopped on 
Nantucket. The weather was hazy; could not see off the shore. 
September 3. The wind came from the northeast last evening about 
eight o’clock p. m. ; at three o’clock in the morning it was blowing a 
strong breeze. I saw one flock of nine birds, and another of fifteen ; 
about one hundred more were seen by other parties who were out. Only 
three birds were shot to-day, and seven on September 4. 
Tuckernuck Island, September 5. About one hundred (estimated) 
Plovers landed last night ; these are the first birds seen here this season. 
About twenty of them were shot up to September 10. Nantucket, 
September 6, I saw a flock of nine birds from which four were shot. 
September 7 was foggy early ; three flocks of Plovers were seen towards 
the western part of the island; one contained nine birds, one seven, and 
one four, and a single bird. These, however, are not new birds ; no new 
arrivals have been noted. 
September 8, I drove all over the eastern burnt district. A gentle 
southeast breeze was blowing and the sky was overcast. Here I found 
several flocks of Plovers, one of twenty, from which I shot five, another 
of about forty from which I obtained ten. 
