Philohela minor. 
1868, 
Middlosox County, Mass. 
Mar, 28, Saw one in a piece of 1o\t v/oods where the ground 
was bare of snow in spots. 
Apr, 11, Flushed and shot four (two males, two females) 0)0 a 
low, swampy covert. One of them rose out of range 
and alighted in an open field on the surface of the snow. 
Dimensions of a male which was, if anything, larger thah 
, either of the. two females: Length, from tip of bill to 
!! end of tail, eleven and one-fourth inches. Prom tip of 
bill to end of middle clav/, twelve and one-half inches. 
Extent, 18. 
May 26. Bound a female v^ith three young which wore apparent 
ly about a week old. She lay on the ground perfectly 
motionless, until I got my hand vathin a fev/- inches of 
her, then rose with hanging legs, like a Rail, and after 
I flying a short distance, tumbled about as if v/ounded, 
Jul; 11, Shot three, two old birds and one young, woll-grov/n 
and active on the wing. The old birds weighed respec¬ 
tively seven, and eight and one-half ounces. They rose 
at the distance of about ten paces and rarely flew more 
than twenty yards at a time, proceeding for the most 
part in a direct line but where the cowsrt was thick 
dodging about the tops of the bushes. ’ 
20. Watched one to-day for sometime; the moment that 
he saw me ho erected his tail and ran vath great sv/ift- 
noss for twenty yards or more and then squatted. 
“ 26. 
Sept,11, 
Sept.29. 
Oet. 8. 
They have not changed their g 'ounds as yet. 
Shot one to-day. It rose from the summit of a 
long, dry ridge v^here the ground was shaded by tall pines 
Pound one in a rather dry maple sv/amp. 
Pound several, evidently flight birds, on a hill¬ 
side aD)ong birches. 
Nov, 7, 
* 14. 
One on a hillside among birch trees and evergreens, 
One was shot and several more seen, the last of the 
season. The flight birds “coming on* just before the 
ItlL n abur.dant, and remained severe 
irfb; year owinj 
to the late spring snov/s. 
1869. 
Shot a male to-day, the first of the season. 
June 6. Young about half-grovm but unable to fly; female 
flOv/ ofi at the first alarm but showing little concern 
for her helpless progeny, 
Oct, 
