1909] The Ottawa Naturalist. 59 



I was sufficiently interested by what I had seen to wonder 

 if the snake would repeat its successful ruse; and so I overtook 

 it once more at a little distance, stopping when within a foot or 

 two of it. It stopped as before, drawing back its head, and 

 throwing its body into considerable curves. What followed 

 was substantially the same as I have already described, but was 

 if anything even more cautious, and longer in accomplishment. 

 The markings of the snake were admirably suited for harmoniz- 

 ing with its surroundings and in doubling from side to side, the 

 body's motion did not greatly break the homogeneity with the 

 waving grass. The creature's self-possession and apparent con- 

 fidence in its tactics, impressed one particularly, whenever the 

 peculiarity of its mode of travel compelled it to direct its head 

 almost squarely toward the quarter from which it sought to 

 escape. Needless to sa^^ its well-earned liberty was gladly 

 granted; and, I suppose, if it succeeds in running the gauntlet 

 of human persecution until a like occasion again presents itself, 

 it will all the more instinctively rely on what has once proved 

 safe wood-craft, and if the next intruder also witnesses the little 

 drama of which he is the cause, will furnish him with another 

 instance of the marvels of animal sagacity. 



Herbert Groh, Ottawa. 



BiRxO Notes. In the Montreal Witness of February 13th, 

 1909, a note reporting the appearance of a solitary robin in 

 the vicinity of Montreal, called forth another from Ottawa. 

 Quoting from the Ottawa Journal this correspondent says, that 

 small flocks of robins have been frequently seen at Ottawa 

 during the winter, f This is so unusual that we should be 

 pleased to learn something more about these wintering robins; 

 particularly as to their feeding habits and whether they were 

 immature birds or not. 



Pine Grosbeaks and Redpolls have been unusually common 

 here this winter, the Grosbeaks feeding on seeds of Mountain 

 Ash and apple trees. Prairie Horned Larks were first noticed 

 on the 28th of February, when I saw^ four birds; a week later 

 saw six, apparently mated. 



On February 21st, my attention was attracted by the grat- 

 ing notes of a Northern Shrike. It was unusually tame, pennit- 

 ting a near approach to its perch in an apple tree, though becom- 

 ing very nervous and excited, whilst emitting a series of cries, 

 one of them a good imitation of an alarmed Catbird and yet 

 another reminding me of the Blue Jay's cry. At intervals it 

 also indulged in its customary warble, suggesting that of the 

 Purple Finch. The body of a Redpoll impaled on a twig of the 



tSee also Ottawa Naturalist, March 190Q, p. ?65. Ed. 



