THE OTTAWA [(ATURALIST. 



Vol. XVIII. OTTAWA, DECEMBER, 1904. 



No. 



THE WINTER FRINGILLID/E OF NEW BRUNSWICK. 



By Wm. H. Moore, Scotch Lake, N.B. 

 The list of birds given below includes the members of the 

 finch and sparrow family which occur in New Brunswick, during- 

 the months of December, January and February. During these 

 three months migration is as nearly at a standstill as at any time 

 during the year. This family is represented by more species than 

 any other family of birds at this season So fat as known twelve 

 species may occur here during the winter, in greater or lesser 

 numbers, being sometimes plentiful and even abundant and in 

 other years rare. The winter of 1902-3 brought several surprises. 

 The regular winter birds were no more plentiful than common, 

 but some of the summer birds remained throughout the winter, 

 and were really more common than is usual during summer. This 

 fact caused the writer to believe that migration is not governed 

 by temperature alone, but more by the food supply. That win- 

 ter the conifers, birches and alders carried a good supply of fruits 

 upon which the Fringillidce fed. During the summer ol 1903 it 

 was noticed that there were no new cones upon the coniferous 

 trees, and a nearly birdless winter was predicted to follow. The 

 prophecy was correct, the birds were very scarce in this section 

 throughout the winter of 1903-4. 



Pine Grosbeak. Pinicola efiucleator. 



This is a rather rare summer resident throughout the southern 

 half of this province. They come south in autumn in flocks of. 

 from three or four to fifty. By people little acquainted with birds 

 they are often mistaken for robins. Their habit of living in sum. 

 mer in coniferous forests, generally far from the haunts of man. 



