Walter Deane papers

122

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 8

A clear, very cool day strong north wind, mercury 60° {degrees} at 8 A.M.

It has been a glorious day. The air crystal clear and cool. This morning we walked to the beach and spent some time there. The breakers were grand and the north wind, curled back their edges as they broke, producing a very grand effect. The surf on the outside edges were tremendous. The Gulls when ing flying in the face of the wind, would skim along in the trough between two waves to avoid the strong gale. I saw a seal in the midst of the huge breakers entirely at home as they broke over him. Speyeria idalia On our return I saw three more idalias on the plain.

This afteroon I saw a pair Red-shouldered Hawks rise and soar over the woods north of the house and later when Robert & I walked over to the boat landing on the river I saw them again. One soared over the salt marsh near us pursued by two Crows. He alighted on the marsh at one time and I saw every marking clearly, R. said he saw three at the same time. I also saw a Marsh Hawk and a Sharpskinned Hawk. That makes my list for the six days Sept. 3-8, including Passer domesticus, 50 sps. {species}. Of these I observed 43 sps. on the first two days.

Basilarcleia arthemis Ella captured for me this morning by the house a Basilarcleia arthemis, the northern Mountain Butterfly. Aspidium Took some in the woods in P.M.

123

Elms, Wells, Me. to Cambridge, Mass. 1901 Sept. 9

A clear day, very brisk and cool dry. Mercury ran down in the night to 42° {degrees} and there was frost a short distance from the farm.

We were up bright and early this morning and took the early eight o'clock train for Bosotn. We reached home by 11.15 A.M.

124

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 3—9

List of birds observed by me at The Elms, Me from the morning of Sept. 3 to the morning 8 A.M. Sept. 9

Gavia imber. Loon. [Sept.] 3, 1 off the beach.

Stercorarius parasiticus. Parasitic Jaeger. [Sept.] 4, 1 [in flight] pursuing Tern.

Larus marinus. Great Black-backed Gull. [Sept.] 3, 12 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 4, 12 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 5, 20 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 6, 10 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 7, 10 [in a flock]

Larus argeutatus smithsonianus. American Herring Gull. [Sept.] 3, 30 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 4, 100 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 5, 100 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 6, 90 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 7, 200 [in a flock]; [Sept.] 8, 12

Sterna (hirundo?). Tern. [Sept.] 3, 12; [Sept.] 4, 20; [Sept.] 5, 30; [Sept.] 6, 6 [in full song]; [Sept.] 7, 20

Oidemia americana. American Scoter. [Sept.] 4, 3 [in flight]

Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. [Sept.] 4, 1 [in flight]

Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black–crowned Night Heron. [Sept.] 4, 1 [in flight] [in full song] at dusk seen; [Sept.] 6, 1 [in flight] [in full song] after dark

Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated Sandpiper. [Sept.] 3, 20; [Sept.] 4, 25; [Sept.] 5, 30; [Sept.] 6, 20; [Sept.] 7, 40; [Sept.] 8, 20

Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. [Sept.] 3, 2; [Sept.] 4, 2; [Sept.] 5, 2

Totanus flavipes. Summer Yellow–legs. [Sept.] 4, 1

Bartramia longicauda. Bartramian Sandpiper. [Sept.] 4, 1 grassy plain

Aegialitis semiplamata. Ring-neck Plover. [Sept.] 3, 3; [Sept.] 4, 3

125

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 3–9 (2)

Zenaidura macronra. Mourning Dove. [September] 6, 2 [in flight] Circus hudsonius. Marsh Hawk. [September] 4, 2 ♀ [female] ♀ [female]; [September] 6, 1 ♀ [female]; [September] 8, 2 Buteo lineatus. Red-shouldered Hawk. [September] 8, 3 [in a flock] Accipiter velox. Sharp-shinned Hawk. [September] 8, 1 [in flight] Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. [September] 3, 1; [September] 4, 5 [in full song]; [September] 6, 3 [in full song]; [September] 7, 1 Dryobates pubescens medianus. Downy Woodpecker [September] 3, 1 ♀ [female] Colaptes auratus luteus. Flicker. [September] 3, 3; [September] 4, 1; [September] 5, 1; [September] 6, 2; [September] 7, 1; [September] 8, 3; [September] 9, 1 Chordeiles virginianus. Nighthawk [September] 4, 3 [in flight] Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Hummingbird. [September] 4, 1 ♀ [female]; [September] 5, 1 ♀ [female]; [September] 6, 1 ♀ [female]; [September] 9, 1 feeding on the nasturtiums by the piazza Tyrannus tyrannus Kingbird. [September] 3, 7 [in a flock] 10; [September] 4, 7 [in a flock] 12; [September] 5, 2; [September] 6, 10; [September] 7, 3; [September] 8, 2 Sayornis phoebe. Phoebe. [September] 4, 1 Contopus virens Wood Pewee. [September] 3, 1; [September] 4, 2 Corvus americanus. American Crow. [September] 3, 12 [in full song]; [September] 4, 12 [in a flock] 20 [in full song]; [September] 5, 20 [in full song]; [September] 6, 12 [in full song]; [September] 7, 12 [in full song]; [September] 8, 20 [in full song]; [September] 9, 6 [in full song] common over the salt marshes Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. [September] 4, 12; [September] 6, hd [heard]; [September] 7, 15 [in a flock] [in flight] and alighting on top of elm by the house. Molothrus ater. Cowbird. [September] 3, 12 [in a flock]

126

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 3–9 (3)

Agelaius phoeniceus. Red-winged Blackbird. [September] 5, 2 ♂ [male] ♂ [male] alighted on stalks in cornfield. Icterus galbula. Baltimore Oriole [September] 6, 1 ♂ [male] ad [adult] full plummage, in elm by house Carpodacus purpureus. Purple Finch. [September] 3, 1 ♂ [male] [in weak song] seen brown bird Passer domesticus. English or House Sparrow. Seen daily in small numbers of from one to half-a-dozen about the place. Saw larger flocks when I went to the village. Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. [September] 3, 12 [a soft twitter]; [September] 4, 12 [a soft twitter]; [September] 5, 6 [a soft twitter]; [September] 6, 6 [a soft twitter]; [September] 7, 10 or more [a soft twitter] all day; [September] 8, 5 [a soft twitter]; [September] 9, 5 [a soft twitter]; x = a soft twitter. I heard the [v?] song constantly. Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna. [September] 3, 1; [September] 5, 2 Ammodramus caudacutus. Sharp-tailed Sparrow. [September] 4, 4 [in a flock] beach grass by Salt marsh. Heavy black markings on breast, no buff. Seen a few yds {yards} off with strong glass for some minutes Spizella socialis. Chipping Sparrow. [September] 3, 25; [September] 4, 20; [September] 6, 100 mainly on the lawn in the elms and on the telegraph wires on the main street to Wells.; [September] 7, 10; [September] 8, 12 Melospiza fasciata. Song Sparrow [September] 3, 2; [September] 4, 1; [September] 8, 3 Cyanospiza cyanea. Indigo Bunting. [September] 5, 1 ♀ [female] Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow. [September] 3, 2; [September] 4, 2 Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing. [September] 4, 12 [in a flock] 1 Vireo olivaceus. Red-eyed Vireo. [September] 3, 1 Mniotilta varia. Black and White Warbler. [September] 3, 1; [September] 4, 1

127

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 3–9 (4)

Helminthophila rubricapilla. Nashville Warbler. [September] 3, 1 Dendroica striata. Black-poll Warbler. [September] 3, 1 Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. [September] 4, 3 ♀ [female] ♀ [female] Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart. [September] 3, 1 Galeoscoptes carolinensis. Catbird. [September] 3, 1 Parus atricapillus. Chickadee. [September] 3, 6; [September] 8, 12 [in a flock] full song & phoebe mate. Merula migratoria. American Robin. [September] 3, 12 [in a flock] 12; [September] 4, 50 [in a flock] 12; [September] 5, 6; [September] 6, 5; [September] 7, 5 Sialia sialis. Bluebird. [September] 3, 6 [in weak song]; [September] 4, 7 [in weak song]; [September] 6, 6 [in weak song]

50 species

128

Elms, Wells, Me. 1901 Sept. 3-8 & Aug. 22Sept. 8

List of Butterflies observed by me at The Elms Maine, Aug. 22-Sept. 8, 1899 and Sept. 3-8, 1901. I captured all except those marked x The names are those of in Scudder's "Every Day Butterflies 1899. All on the list were seen in 1901 except Vanessa huntera and atalanta

Papilio polyxenus {polyxenes}. common. Pieris rapae. " {common} Eurymus philodice. very abundant Anosia plexippus. occasional. Speyeria idalia. Saw 12 specimens in 1901, took 4. Argynnis aphrodite. occasional Brenthis myrina. common " {Brenthis} bellona. " {common} Phyciodes tharos. saw a few x Polygonia sp. saw one. Vanessa atalanta. saw a few in 1899. " {Vanessa} huntera. common in 1899 Basilarchia arthemis. one taken in 1901 by Mrs. Lord " {Basilarchia} archippus. occasional Cercyonis alope. common. Heodes hypophlaeas. " {common}

129

East Lexington, Mass. 1901 Sept. 26

Clear, bright sunny day cool and pleasant. An ideal day –

Gryllotalpa borealis This afternoon Mr. Sam Henshaw, William Brewster & I went by electric to East Lexington to hear and see the Mole Cricket that Dr. Walter Faxon had lately secured on the moist land by the Great Meadows. After walking about for some time we heard four and located two of them within a few feet, but we did not suceed in getting any. The sound is a raucous rhymical beat, superficially like that of the Tree Cricket, Oecanthus niveus but of harsher tone.

We saw a number of birds :–

Black Duck 1 [in flight]	Rusty Blkbird [Blackbird] 6 [in a flock] [in flight]
Blue-winged Teal 1 [in flight] & dropping into the swamp	Swamp Sparrow several chirping in the cat tails
Virginia Rail 1 running from one patch of cat tail to another	Song Sparrow 2 or 3
Wilson's Snipe 1 [in flight] [in full song]	Cedar birds 12 [in a flock]
Osprey 1 [in flight]	Yellow rumped W. [Warbler] 1
Quail 1 autumnal call	Black-poll W. [Warbler] 25
Flicker 2 [in flight]	Maryland Yellow Throat 2 ♀ [female] ♀ [female]
Swift 4 [in flock] in flight for several minutes	Robin about 7- [700] or 800
Kingfisher 1 [in flight] [in full song]	Bluebird hd. [heard]

600 to 700 Robins [in flock] to a roost. Between 5 & 6 P.M we saw from 600 to 700 Robins flying in flocks from 6 to 50 in number, toward some woods to the N.W. where is doubtless a large roost. They flew at first very high, then at last very low.

Gryllus chirping I brought home some Black Crickets (Gryllus pennsylvanicus) and have been watching them chirp. They elevate the wing covers about 45° and then rub them together horizontally. The

130

East Lexington, Mass. 1901 Sept. 26 (2)

wings overlap and lie flat on the back. The outside edge of each wing or wing-cover, is deflexed. The surface of each wing at the base is slightly convex and furnished with strong veins. When the wings are elevated they are opened a little, the bases still overlapping. Then by a rapid vibration of these wing-covers, the bases are rubbed together being intermittent, the result is the separate chirps or trills. A gentle rubbing of the wings produces a soft sound quite unlike the ordinary one.

Gyrllus fighting The crickets are very aggresive, attacking each other constantly and fighting with their strong mandibles. I saw one sieze and pull off the hind leg of another. The victim did not seem to mind the operation a bit, but he hops about with the remaining leg easily. I have the crickets in a large bowl. They cannot crawl out and I can watch them freely. They have been eating greedily bit of apple that I cut up and gave them.

Before we left the Meadows the sun set and the golden light was very beautiful. Light fleecy cirrus clouds were dappled over the sky in exquisite shapes, not a breath of air was stirring. The button bushes covering the swamps were turning a golden yellow and back of all hung the full moon, making as it were another day.

131

Cambridge, Mass. 1901 Sept. 27

A glorious day, clear, cool, cloudless.

My first Geothlypis philadelphia This morning in the Garden I saw my first Mourning Warbler (Geothlypis philadelphia). Will Brewster saw it yesterday and so after breakfast we went right into the Garden to find it. Its favorite spot was under the pear tree at the corner of the paths by the pond on the east side. We started it from there two or three times. It was a young mare and its chirp was very suggestive of that of a Maryland Yellow Throat. I had some excellent views of it. Its throat was turning dark and the under parts were bright yellow. A yellowish eye ring was quite noticeable. The bird was very restless, in constatn motion all the time. After we had seen it a number of times. Will secured it as it was a very valuable record. We also saw a ♂ {male} Ruby crowned Kinglet and two Golden-crested Kinglets.

This afternoon we drove round Fresh Pond but saw no birds on it. Last Sunday the 22d I walked round the Pond and saw 37 ad {adult} & 8 im. (immature) Herring Gulls and [in flight] Black Ducks.

Oecanthus angustipennis This afternoon Will & I heard in the Garden the intermittent trill of Oecanthus angustipennis, and earlier in the month I caught one on a Helianthus leaf in front of the Museum. The marks on the antennae was thus: — [drawing]