1898] 15 



REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGICAL BRANCH OF 

 THE OTTAWA FIELD-NATURALISTS' CLUB 

 FOR 1897-98.. 



In submitting the report of the leaders of the Ornitholo- 

 gical branch of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club, we trust that 

 it will not be considered amiss if it is prefaced by a few general 

 remarks. 



In a city the size of Ottawa, with the great facility which 

 the collections at the Geological survey afford for the identifica- 

 tion and comparison of specimens, it is a great disappointment 

 to us, that so few persons take an interest in the study of our 

 birds and their habits. To our knowledge not one boy or girl 

 in the cit}' is making a systematic collection of birds or eggs, 

 nor attempting to study them in the field ; and of the mem- 

 pers of the Field-Naturalists' club, who are especially interested 

 in birds, none seem to have the time or opportunity nowadays 

 to make more than casual oberservations, with the exception of 

 Mr. Geo. R. White, who seems to find leisure to make frequent 

 excursions to the field, the results of whose expeditions appear, 

 from time to time, in the columns of the "Naturalist." Much 

 valuable data has been forthcoming fmrn those who have had 

 time for casual observations, only, but we are very desirous that 

 more of our members should find opportunities to get to the 

 woods and take notes on what the)' see and hear. 



Those who have helped the Leaders of the Ornithological 

 branch during the year by the free use of their notes are. — Mr. 

 Geo. R. White, Dr. Jas. Fletcher, Prof. J. Macoun, Mr. W. A. 

 D. Lees, Mr. H. B. Small, Mr. H. S. Marsh. Mr. W. E. Saunders, 

 Mr. F. A. Saunders, and Mr. G. Muirhead, of Haddo Hall, 

 Aberdeenshire, Scotland. 



"ne addition was made this year to the list of Ottawa 

 birds. On the 30th of March, Mr. G. Muirhead shot two female 

 specimens of the Evening Grosbeak (Coccot/ira/zs^es vesperlina) 

 in the Rideau Hall grounds. According to Mcllvvraith this bird 

 has been seen in Ontario but four times, previously. At Toronto 



