Jaimarv. 19211 



The Canadian Field-Natikalist. 



11 



composed of Mrs. D(Higlas Mcintosh, 

 Misses Kirk, M. Bain, N. Bain, Hyndman, 

 I. Clemens, Aish, M. Armstrong, E. Suther- 

 land, G. Rogers (Victoria), R. Stewart, 



(Victoria), Thyne, and Messrs. J. David- 

 son, J. Lyall, F. Perry, McNair, Kirk, .[. 

 D. Turnbnll, J. W. "Turnbnll. Wiekson 

 (Victoria), D. Nelson, R. R. Earle. 



BIRD NOTES BY THE WAY IN THE MARITIME PROVINCES. 



By Hoyes Lloyd. 



From Mai-cli to October 1919 I spent 

 about three montlis in the Maritime Prov- 

 inces of Canada. There Avere three dif- 

 ferent trips as follows : March 16 May 7 ; 

 ' July 15 August 10 ; and October ; the 

 last of which may lie neglected here. 



Those Canadians who do not know the 

 Maritime Provinces have not seen one of 

 the loveliest parts of their country. 

 Although occupied with other things, 

 every opportunity was taken to study tlie 

 birds of this territory which was new to 

 me. Dependence upon field glasses instead 

 of specimens for identification of some 

 birds seen was unsatisfactory, and should 

 anyone care to question this species or 

 that, I must advise him to go where the 

 spruces fringe the roadside, where the 

 muddy tidal flats shine in the summer 

 sunshine, and see for himself. 



Leaving Ottawa on March 14th. the only 

 common birds to be seen from the train 

 were Crows and a single straggling flock 

 of Horned Larks. The Crows were already 

 common in Quebec and New Brunswick 

 along the Intercolonial Railway on the 

 15th. At Dalhousie Junction, an early 

 Grackle was seen on the top of a pine. The 

 icy expanse of Chaleur Bay with its pat- 

 ches of open blue sea gave little promise 

 of Spring, but there was the Grackle in 

 defiance of Winter. 



On March 16th I walked across the 

 frozen St. John River from Fredericton, 

 New Brunswick, reaching the point where 

 a small stream flows into the St. John. A 

 flock of 18 Snow Buntings were found and 

 many of them were singing in chorus. They 

 had chosen a large elm for this rather un- 

 usual performance and all perched in the 

 branches to enjoy or participate in it. This 

 tree was evidently used solely for this 

 vocal performance by the flock, for they 

 flew off but returned shortly and resumed 

 their singing. 



The song was canary-li^e, interrupted 



with twitters as in the Goldfincli and with 

 the regular whirring flight note of the 

 Snow Bunting. It was sweet and bub- 

 bling, being particularly attractive in a 

 season when songs are scarce. 



The historic Boardman Collection of 

 birds is well eared for in the University 

 of New Brunswick. Unfortunately the 

 labels in this collection give onh^ the names 

 of the species and the number in Baird's 

 check list. I examined the stands of a few 

 of the mounted birds in a search for the 

 usual data, but without success. Many of 

 the mounted birds are crowded into large 

 cases so that all but the outside birds are 

 indistinguishable, and the cases do not 

 open readily. For this reason it was im- 

 possible to study the collection carefully, 

 as this could not be done Avithout taking 

 considerable time and putting the L"ni- 

 versitv authorities to a great deal of trou- 

 ble. 



On the 19th of March, after two days' 

 rain which turned the snow-laden coun- 

 try-side into a veritable morass of snow, 

 slush, and water, a short walk along the 

 river road at Fredericton was taken in 

 search of early migrants. Half a dozen 

 Pine Siskins were found, and on the 29th 

 others were noticed at McGivney Junction. 



On that day I left Fredericton for 

 Moncton. The ice had just left the Nash- 

 waak River, although it still held in the 

 swollen St. John. The American Goldeii- 

 eyes had not been slow to take advantage 

 of the open water and made pretty groups 

 as they swam along the icy .edges of the 

 Nashwaak. Several large flocks of Grack- 

 les were travelling north up the river val- 

 ley and I believe one Song Sparrow was 

 seen. 



East of McGivney Junction a Red-tailed 

 Hawk (?) was coursing over the open 

 barrens. At Moncton there w^as a dual 

 attraction in the Petitcodiac River, the 

 numerous Gulls and the bore, which stop- 



