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call was heard, and on imitating it the writer had the satisfaction of 

 eliciting an answer several times repeated as the bird passed on up the 

 canal. This year the nights of the i5fh and iSth September were 

 marked by a great movement of birds. On the 15th at about 10.30 

 p.m. there was a fine rain driving before a south-westerly wind, and the 

 birds flew unusually low. They seemed from their cries to be chiefly 

 warblers and sparrows (native) though sometimes the cries of various 

 shore-birds could be heard at a greater height. Frequently small birds 

 of the warbler family, struggling with the storm, would almost dash 

 against the electric lamp which stands upon the bridge, circle a number 

 of times round it and then pass away into the darkness. The night of 

 Sunday, the i8th, was more favourable for the identification of species. 

 Shortly after midnight a thunderstorm came up from the south-west, 

 and during the dull quiet period which preceded it the calls of the 

 passing birds were so frequent and distinct as at times to become a 

 positive clamour, attracting the notice of casual passers-by, who would 

 stop and look up into the darkness in astonishment. The voices of 

 the Rubin, the Bluebird, the Goldfinch and the Greater Yellow-legs 

 above mentioned could be recognized, and other calls, though not to 

 be identified, were clearly assignable to the warbler family, the limicolce 

 (snipe and plover) and various native sparrows. The main column of 

 this army of birds evidently confined itseU to the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of the canal, for at a distance of a few blocks on either side, the 

 cries became much less frequent, though once in a while a bird or two 

 evidently confused by the multitude of lights, would fly out in wide 

 circles over the city screaming distractedly. Probably another column 

 might have been found following the parallel course of the Rideau 

 River about a mile to the eastvvard until it and the canal converge and 

 meet a few miles south of the city. In the city papers on the following 

 Monday relerence was made to some of these phenomena, and at least 

 two birds (partridges) were reported to have been found, killed no 

 doubt by striking electric wires or posts. 



Several nights following this were clear, and no migrants came 

 within "earshot." That of the 22nd was to all appearances similar to 

 the 1 8th, but no movement was discernible. On the 24th the birds 

 were again on the wing, though not in such numbers nor so clearly to 

 be heard as on the previous occasion. 



