61 
Report of the Ornithological Branch for the Year 1892. 
To the Council of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' Club : 
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Leaders in Ornithology in present- 
ing their report for the year 1892 have to regret that in the section of 
the work under their oversight there has not been so much activity 
shov/n as in some former years. But four observers have reported, and 
the total number of species recorded reached only 118. None of these 
were new to the list but a number of previously doubtful records have 
been corroborated. 
The department of " Editorial Notes " in the Naturalist has con- 
tained from month to month items in connection with bird-life deemed 
of sufficient interest for publication, and these need not be recounted 
here. In addition to these the following records are worthy of notice : 
Field sparrow, Spizella pusi/la, 2nd July, about 4 miles south-east 
of King's Mountain ; in full song and evidently breeding, though nest 
not found (F. A. Saunders). 
Tree sparrow, *S. mcniicola, 8th January, on the "mine road" north 
of Hull (F. A. Saunders). This spe< ies, common enough in the season 
of migration has never before been known to winter with us ; indeed 
there is said to be but one previous record of its appearance during winter 
anywhere north of latitude 44 s2 (Cooke's Bird Migration Miss. Valley). 
Wood thrush, Turdus mustelinus, 26th May, near McKay's Lake 
(A. G. Kingston), and 29th June on King's Mountain (F. A. Saunders). 
Blue-grey Gnatcatcher, Polioptila actulea. Previous to this year 
there has been but one record of this little bird for this locality about 
12 years ago. This year it is reported twice, once on 26th May by Mr. 
Kingston and again on 10th July by Miss Gertrude Harmer. No 
specimen was secured, however, and at most the visits of this resident 
of the Alleghanian district to our neighborhood must be regarded as 
merely casual. 
Common tern, Sterna hirundo, nth August near Brockville (Miss 
Harmer). Though somewhat beyond our limits, the appearance of a 
flock of these birds at a point so far from the sea and the great lakes is 
worthy of note. 
A. G. Kingston, ) 
John Macoun, , Leaders. 
Wm. A. D. Lees, J 
