26 The Ottawa Naturalist. * [May 



BIRD NOTES. 



An influx of Evening Grosbeaks occurred during the month 

 of March, large flocks appearing within the city limits and in 

 less settled districts marby. The birds were so conspicuous and 

 popular that many interesting items appeared in the daily press. 

 A number of ignorant people either trapped or shot these birds, 

 but the timely intervention of the proper authorities prevented 

 what might have been a wholesale slaughter of hundreds of 

 this beautiful species. The Grosbeaks were subsisting on a 

 diet of mountain-ash berries. Several trees, under personal ob- 

 servation, were stripped bare of berries in two days. The birds 

 have apparently gone northward again, as none have been seen 

 since March 26th. On March 28th, on the mountain side, I 

 noticed a dead male, which was in perfect condition and had 

 not been shot. Perhaps this bird died of starvation, as others 

 have been lately picked up and their crops have been empty. 



The Pine Grosbeaks have been conspicuous by their ab- 

 sence, only one male and two females being seen during the 

 entire winter. These were also feeding on mountain-ash berries, 

 and would occasionally drop into a pool of water to take a bath. 

 The birds were quite tame, allowing anybody to approach within 

 a few feet of them. 



The spring migration has set in in earnest and quite sud- 

 denly. A week ago hard winter conditions were prevailing, 

 but now the weather is warm and summerlike. The Prairie 

 Horned Larks were observed on March 5th. Although crows 

 have been reported from certain farming districts a few miles 

 outside of Montreal during the winter, the first spring arrivals 

 in this locality appeared on March 12th, becoming more abun- 

 dant each day. On March 26th a flock of Red-winged Black- 

 birds was noted, and one Bluebird put in an appearance. On 

 March 28th a Song Sparrow was heard, and the day following 

 the birds were common, about fifteen being heard singing in an 

 orchard where there was plenty of brush and cover. 



March 30th was a fine, warm spring day. At 4 p.m. I 

 visited an area of low ground some 400 yards square, and flanked 

 on one side by a small stream and a thin growth of alder and 

 willow bushes. This locality was covered by snow and water, 

 and I was immediately attracted by a flock of about 50 Robins, 

 which were probably going further north, and six Bluebirds 

 running over its surface. The Bluebirds would fly into the 

 bushes and quietly d op to the snow again, with an occasional 

 soft call note. The birds were evidently feeding on spiders 



