during cold winter weather but the exact date is not now avail¬ 
able. Some years since, on the first day of January Mr. Frank 
Dexter followed a Kingfisher along the Ten Mile river, and in 
1884, on January 5th and 10th, two Night Herons were taken 
in Bristol, the weather being cold at that time. 
The Butcher Bird or Northern Shrike, is an irregular attend¬ 
ant with us, and on February 16th, of this year, I observed three 
Blue Birds, commonly spoken of as harbingers of spring. 
The English Sparrow, well, they are best described by an old 
English friend of mine, who calls them “A perennial nuisance.” 
Turning now to the marine waters of Rhode Island, from 
Riverside to and about Newport, we may find many gulls, singly 
and in flocks, chiefly the Herring Gull, occasionally a Great 
Black-backed, and oftener, though somewhat irregularly, the 
Bonaparte’s and Kittcwakes; also many sorts of ducks such as 
the Buffle-head or Dipper, Dusky or Black Duck, Golden Eye 
or Whistler, Long-tail Duck or Old Squaw, Velvet Duck or 
White-winged Coot, Scoter or Yellow-bill Coot, Surf Duck or 
Patch-bill Coot, Scaup Duck or Broad-bill or Blue-bill, the 
Goosander, and the Red-breasted and the Hooded Merganser, 
the common Eider Duck, the Horned Grebe and the Dabchick 
and one specimen of the King Eider taken at Nayatt, the only 
capture I have known, is now in my possession. The Wild 
Mallard is not uncommon and the Red-head, the Canvas-back 
and Harlequin have been taken. Earlier and later in the 
season, I could add to this list, the Pin-tail Sprig-tail or Gray 
Duck, and the Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal, and the 
Canada, Snow and Brant Geese. Hunters complain that birds 
are not as plenty as in days gone by. This seems to me the in¬ 
evitable result of many causes. I do not see that much can be 
practically done for either the birds or the gunners. Each year 
brings to our waters an increase of steamers large and small, and 
sailing craft of every sort, and each year adds along our Ameri¬ 
can coast new light-houses, while the latest appliances have 
greatlv increased the power and brilliancy of the lights. These, 
while necessary to man, are terrible snares for birds, particularly 
the small ones; during their migrations hundreds annually dash 
themselves to destruction against these large lanterns. Incident- 
