LOCAL FAUNA 



Recent Bird Notes 



Fox Sparrow in the City. — Marked and sudden changes of 

 weather nearly always have an interesting effect upon the bird-life 

 of the region affected. Practically everybody in Charleston 

 noticed the great number of Fox Sparrows which appeared in the 

 city during the heavy sleet storm of January 13 when 3.9 inches 

 of sleet fell and the temperature dropped as low as 19.9°. It is 

 not so generally known, however, that the birds remained more 

 or less common in the city long after the blizzard was over. Up to 

 February 20 they were seen nearly every day, usually in small num- 

 bers but sometimes in flocks of half a dozen or more, and even as 

 late as the present writing, March 11, they are seen occasionally. 

 Prior to the sleet storm the Fox Sparrow, as far as I know, had 

 been recorded in the city only twice — one bird shot by Mr. Elli- 

 son A. Smyth, Jr., on December 24, 1887, and one seen by me on 

 January 6, 1907: and the present instance is an interesting case 

 of a species, hitherto almost unknown in the city, being fairly 

 common there for nearly two months following a sudden and de- 

 cided change of weather which caused it to appear suddenly and 

 in great abundance. — Herbert R. Sass. 



Cardinal singing in winter. — In the city during mild winters the 

 Cardinal usually begins singing regularly in early January, continu- 

 ing in song from that time until the middle of July. It is remark- 

 able that during the present winter, an unusually severe one, the 

 first song should have been heard as early as Christmas day. Nor 

 was this, so to speak, a mere transitory flash in the pan. Despite 

 the severe cold waves that have followed one another in close suc- 

 cession the birds have continued to sing since Dec. 25, though, of 

 course, by no means as constantly as in the spring. — Herbert R. 

 Sass. 



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