162 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Dec. 



Gulls. Occasionally these would fly past us, within close range, 

 but it remained for this trip to disclose to us, that, sometimes 

 at least, these flocks consist in quite large proportions of Caspian 

 Tern, and I selected one from the flock in which this was first 

 noted, but it dropped too far out in the cold water and the wind 

 drifted it beyond my swimming powers. These birds will be 

 looked for later on, as they have been observed in only small 

 numbers before. On this trip there was only the one occasion 

 when they came near shore and at all other times the beautiful 

 evolutions of the gulls were carried on at considerable distances. 

 Nearly every person has seen flocks of Blackbirds and perhaps 

 Waders, which when passing within view, are apt to dart down 

 at an abrupt angle and then shoot up again, but the Bonaparte's 

 Gull not only does this, but reverses the process as well. While 

 watching a flock skimming over the surface of the water, there 

 could be seen, one, at a time, of these beautiful birds, leaving 

 the flock and shooting upwards for perhaps 20 vards, at an in- 

 credibly rapid rate and then dropping down to join the others. 

 The effect of these gyrations is very beautiful indeed; and only 

 a few times have I seen anything resembling the beautiful 

 curving flight which this bird used when a high flying flock 

 desires to come to the surface of the water. They always make 

 me think of falling leaves. Swallows are the only other birds 

 that I have often seen performing in this way. 



The Carolina Wrens which were observed on only one day 

 on our last trip, were again in evidence,. and several were heard 

 singing each day. Tree Swallows were seen in considerable 

 numbers on the 1st and 2nd of October. They were living out 

 over the marsh where probably they roosted as well. A very 

 few Barn Swallows were also noted, but the date was very late 

 for them. 



The nights were warm until that of the 5th, v/hen the 

 theraiometer dropped to 42. The effect was instantaneous, and 

 the next morning a large number of Blackbirds were added to 

 the daily bill, but their flight finished early in the morning and 

 it happened that this particular morning was the only one, on 

 which we made a late arrival at the end of the Point, owing to 

 dissipation on the previous evening. The said dissipation con- 

 sisting of cartridge loading and bird skinning, which are perhaps 

 different from the ordinary method of burning midnight oil. 



Short-eared Owls were a feature of the trip, and were seen 

 in moderate numbers almost everV^ dav near the end of the Point. 

 Two notable Waders were seen, 3 Golden Plovers and one White- 

 rumped Sandpiper. A single Connecticut Warbler was taken 

 on October 2nd, but warblers in general were in small numbers 

 and their flight had evidentlv passed. 



.:.^^ 



