ORNITHOLOGTST 
■56 
Notes from Maine. 
The O and O. has reached me here 
where I have been camping out for seven 
weeks. I promised to write something 
about 'Fraill’s Fly catcher, under the im¬ 
pression that they were as rare elsewhere as 
here, but finding that they are plenty in 
some localities I do not care to write what 
others have probably observed ard written 
of before, but I will write a few lines con¬ 
cerning the changes which have occurred 
in birds within my recollection east of the 
Penobscot. 
For ten years at least 1 have not seen a 
common House Wren, although formerly 
very abundant. I can find no one who re¬ 
members having seen one for years. The 
Blue Jay, once abundant, is now compara¬ 
tively scarce. Also the Oolden winged 
Woodpecker, which once were so plenty 
that 1 shot twelve in one afternoon. Hawks 
of all kinds are extremely rare I do not 
see a dozen of all kinds in a season ne.ir 
Bangor, although 1 travel a great deal. 
Since 1876 I have spent fourteen weeks 
camping here, and have traveled hundreds 
of miles in this vicinity and have rover 
seen but one in that time, though the 
mountains and ponds would seem to be 
suited for favorite resorts for them With¬ 
in two years the Red-bellied Nuihatch is 
leaving us. I used to see them every day, 
summer and winter, but have not seen one 
for a year. 'I'he Baltimoie Oriole was un¬ 
known here a few years ago but is-now cpiite 
plenty west of the Penobscot, and crossed 
It to remain some ten years ago, ihougii still 
rarely ever seen three miles east of it. 1 
think I travel east of Bangor at least fifty 
to seventy-five days in the spring and sum¬ 
mer, but while for >om; ten years 1 base 
seen them nesting all along the river with¬ 
in a quaiter of a mile from it, I have yet 
to see the first one a mile from the liver. 
The Bob-o-link and Chipping Sparrow are 
both getting scarce, while the Crow Black¬ 
bird, almost unknown thirty years ago, is 
now very numerous. The IJiuebird has in 
creased, also the Least Flycatcher and 
[Vol. 6-No. 7 .1 
Wood Pewee, though seldom seen far froni'l 
houses The Wild Pigeon, once here in 9 
thousands, is so rare that it is hard work to ' 
get specimens for collectors. The House j 
Sparrow has visited us in winter for the f 
last two years, but have never seen any af- i 
ter March. They have come and gone at i 
about ihe same dates as the Snow Buntings, a 
I saw a new thing cn August 20th. I wing- ,1 
broke a Palmated Sandpiper when it instant- 
ly took to the water and dove, swimming j| 
from fifteen to twenty-five feet at a dive, J 
rarely taking time to breathe till it got be- 'I 
yond the reacli of stones thrown at it. 1 
knew they could swim but never knew they -1 
could swim like a Crebe under water. 
Please excuse this as I write on my knee r 
for lack of a desk.— M. //. Camden, Me. 
-♦♦♦ - 
Growth of Robins, &c. 
I was very glad to hear from you in re¬ 
sponse to my recent note in relation to the " 
strange method birds adopt to preserve the 'i 
purity of their nests. A few days after I 
wrote to you, while sitting on my front 
■porch, I noticed a Sparrow leave a wood- 1 
bine on ihe house of Mr. Harper, who lives 
directly opposite my residence on South ^ 
High Street, having in his bill some white if 
object. He flew directly to the center of r] 
the highway, and dropped in the mud the | 
s ibstance he had held in his bill and im- ^ 
mediately fl.w away. 1 went directly to 
the spot and saw a lump of excrementitious 'i 
matter l.ifgcr than a common pea, smooth- 1 
ly rounded, white for the most part, though , 
one side or end was green. I knew- it to 
be the excrement of a bird, and saw it was < 
the same process as observed in the Robin i 
rejiea'ed by the Sparrow. It confirmed, to 
a great extent, the view 1 had of the man- ( 
ner by which nests are kept clean from the i 
abservjtions that I made with respect to 
the Robin’s nest near my house. 
P S. My son, twenty-four years old, and i| 
witness of the act, believed the old bird | 
swallowed it. I saw it seized by the old ( 
bird but did not suppose or see any act in- R 
dtrating ih.it it was swallowed.— Dr. S. I 
JIart to Dr. ll’m ll'ood. Bj 
