1908] Winter Birds of the Cobalt Region. 65 



WINTER BIRDS OF THE COBALT REGION. 



March 14th to 26th of this year the writer spent in New 

 Ontario in the towns along the New Ontario and Temiskaming 

 Railway. Although I did not go there for the purpose that 

 visitors to this region usually go there for, yet it was no vacation 

 tour, but on the contrary, a ver^- busv time for me. Every 

 free moment, however, I spent in looking at the things in nature; 

 especially was I curious to see what birds could be met with here 

 at this time. Whenever I could, I went into the fringe of the 

 woods, mostly dense stands of small black spruce, tamarack 

 and quaking aspen. The tamarack had also here as elsewhere 

 been all killed by the insect that did so much damage a few 

 years before, but some new growth was also seen. 



The birds here are few and far between in winter. But 

 since faunal Hsts from this region are rare, I submit the following 

 Hst. Unless otherwise noted, they are winter birds, or permanent 

 residents of the region, for, although migration is in progress 

 further south, it was practically the middle of winter here. 

 On March 16th the temperature at Englehart was 6 ' in day time, 

 but the wind, from north, was certainly much below zero, as it 

 must have been also during the night' The lengthening' days 

 were the only token of approaching .spring, there was no thawing 

 of snow and ice as yet. The following birds were seen: — 

 Raven (Corvus corax principalis, one, March 16th at Englehart. 



Reported as rather common at Larder Lake. 

 Chickadee (Pams atricapiUns), 5-6 in some pines, exposed to 



tbe icy blasts, at Englehart, as lively and satisfied as usual ; 



one singing their sweet: Peabodv. Seen also in two to 



three other places; 10-15 on way from Brentha to 



Heaslip. 



Hairy Woodpecker {Dryobaics villosus), one near Heaslip. 

 Snowfiake (Passerius nivalis), flock of about 25 on Lake Temis- 

 kaming at Haileybury. 



English Sparrow (Passer domesticus), abundant at Cobalt, less 

 so at Haileybury. None seen at Englehart and north- 

 ward. 



Canada Jay {Perisoreus canadensis), 4-5 seen at Brentha P. O. 

 I had a very amusing experience with one of these birds, 

 showing their tameness or feariessness, to which they are 

 ■probably driven l)y hunger. A Swiss farmer at Brentha 

 told me, that he had a tame "meat bird" at his place, 

 which would, when called, Hobie, fly on his hand and eat 

 out of it I told him I would come the next morning and 



