1898] Ornithology. 43 



living 500 miles south of us have had a season of marked sever- 

 ity. On 5th and 6th April, a snowstorm followed by frost visited 

 Maryland, Virginia and Tennessee, and inclement weather seems 

 to have prevailed in that region, more or less, throughout the 

 spring. This state of things has no doubt formed a barrier 

 which southern birds have not cared to pass through, although 

 the weather further north was such as they would have delighted 

 in had they only pushed on far enough and fast enough. 



In this connection let me allude to one item in your notes 

 for March which, with due regard for the observer, seems to me 

 almost incredible. I refer to the record of a wood pewee on 

 28th March by Dr. Fletcher. This species spends the winter in 

 Central America ; Chapman gives 10 to 20 May for its usual 

 arrival at New York. Ottawa records since 1890 vary between 1 3 

 and 24 May. In view of the late arrival of all other insect- 

 feeders this year, one cannot help doubting the identification of 

 this solitary wood pewee. 



A. G. Kingston. 

 Ottawa, 30th April. 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Edited by W. T. iMacoun. 



The weather during most of the month of April has been 

 cool, the nights being especially so, with the result that the 

 birds did not arrive in large numbers and those that came did 

 not show themselves very openly. Many birds which, after a 

 warm night, are so full of song in the early mornings at this 

 time of year, are almost silent. On the 19th of April there was 

 quite a chorus of melody from a flock of vesper sparrows at the 

 Experimental Farm, but they must have caught cold for they 

 have been very quiet ever since. A few purple finches, during 

 the last week of the month, helped to dispel by their full, sweet 

 notes, the almost universal gloom which seems to have fallen 

 over bird life. 



Birds' Nests. — Northern Shrike Lanius borealis. Two 



