75 UPTON, MAINE 1874 August 18 I saw a number of ducks ( one A.obscura) in the pond, but fired only one shot at a sitting bird, wounding and loosing him in the weeds. Saw several Perisoreus canadensis and heard them utter a variety of shrill hawk like whistles. Came across two Picoides arcticus both ♀ and shot three, one flying. Saw a flock of about 30 pigeons flying. On the wooded island a water thrush was singing most gloriously its clear beautiful warble sounding all the finer from the perfect silence around. Start- ing up river at 1 P.M. I hoisted my sail and reached the Lake house by 5 without taking a stroke with paddle or oars the whole distance. At the mouth of the river I saw several flocks of Gambetta flavipes as well as a few G.melanoleuca and one Tringa maculata. A large flock of Hirundo bicolor was also fly- ing about the stubs: have not seen them at Upton for three weeks Emerging into the lake I saw flying over the water four birds which I perceived were new to me and after watching them a few moments I came to the conclusion that they were the Hydrocheli- don plumbea. After chasing them about for some time I got a shot and securing the bird found that my conjecture had been correct. Shortly after I killed another when a third which was flying near came sweeping down to the dead bird,and hovered in true tern style. This bird I also killed, but the remaining one escaped. Their flight was peculiar and very unlike any of the other species: it more resembled a swallow or a petrel's and they kept quite high up frequently hawking about 100 yards or more above the water. Again they would seem to be searching