1903] The Cow-Bird in Winter, 225 



larval torm, and is content to remain in ignorance of the beauties 

 and charms ot the dry land. The family to which he belong-.s is a 

 small, as well as a lowly one, as the Cambridge Natural History 

 reduces the various described forms to three genera, each with 

 only one species. The mud puppy's connections are. so far as 

 known, confined to limited areas and are of a very retiring dis- 

 position. Proteus anguinus is found in Austria, and inhabits sub- 

 terranean waters, especially those of the large caves ot Adelsburg 

 near Trieste. Its whole body is white, but is so susceptible to 

 light, that when removed from its natural habitat and exposed to 

 sunlight, it gradually becomes darker and finally entirely black. 

 The remaining species is Typhlomolge rathbuni^ an inhabitant of 

 ub'errane n waters in Texas The extent ot its d'stribution is 

 unknown, tor all the specimens yet observed have been taken 

 from an artesian well, 188 feet deep, near San Marcos. Like other 

 inhabitants of such dark hidden waters it is colourless and sight- 

 less. Possibly the fondness shown by these two species of the 

 Proteidae for a subterranean existence may influence the young 

 mud-puppies which find their way in to the darkness of our water 

 mains. Passing through 1 he screens of the intake pipe, as an e.^% 

 or while still small, it is drawn onward until it takes the plunge 

 into the vortex of city life, from which there is no return to the 

 home oi its kindred. 



THE COW-BIRD IN WINTbR. 



In December, 1901, Mr. W. T. Macoun saw a cow-bird asso- 

 ciating with the English sparrow around the barns at the Experi- 

 mental Farm near the city. Afterwards, this bird, or another, 

 was picked up dead near the barns. It proved to be a male, and 

 is now in the Geological Survey Museum. 



A little before Christmas a Museum assistant noticed what he 

 called a black sparrow sitting on the maple tree in front of a 

 window on George street. For over ten days it remained with 

 the sparrows, fed with them and sat on the twigs with them, but 

 never seemed intimate with them. It was not seen afterwards, 

 and may have succumbed to the late severe weather. 



