50 JOURNAL OP MAINE ORNITHOLOGIC.VL SOCIETY. 



sii;nal the wliole flock flew away in a compact bunch. Later in the 

 day Mr. Winch secured one at the same locality, to which they 

 returned. 



From Dr. Simmons I was able to learn somewhat of their feed- 

 ing habits. They did not seem to eat the pulp of the mountain 

 ash berries but delved into the berry to obtain the seed while the 

 pulp was dropped on the snow beneath. They seem to l)e more or 

 less regular in their feeding habits, frequenting certain localities in 

 a given route or circuit through the immediate neighborhood for a 

 distance of a dozen blocks or so. 



One of the teachers at the neighboring grammar school, who has 

 aspirations to be somewhat of an ornithologist, had an item printed 

 in the Bangor Comvicrcial to the effect that the Cedar Waxwings 

 had been wintering in the immediate neighliorhood. Dr. Simmons 

 saw this item in print and immediately called nic wy on the tele- 

 phone to call my attention to the error, thus happily resulting in 

 giving me much valuable information and the pleasure of seeing the 

 birds as well. 



It is well on to twenty years ago, when the writer was a high 

 school l)oy, just beginning his scientific career, tliat the Bohemian 

 Waxwings last visited this locality. In those early days Bohemian 

 Waxwings and other northern birds used to visit us rather more fre- 

 quently than they do now, as we used to see them every three or 

 four 3^ears, but now that twenty years has elapsed from their last 

 call to the present visit it is indeed a pleasure to be able to see them 

 once more. 



Practically all our winter bii'ds seem to come in fewer numbers 

 and less frequently and regularly than formerl}', though even in 

 those early days such eccentric creatures as the Bohemian Wax- 

 wings, Crossbills, and to a lesser extent the Pine Grosbeaks, could 

 never be depended on. 



Formerly we always found the Crossbills in winter, not at any 

 other season, while now about Bangor both species of Crossbill occur 

 more commonly and regularly as summer birds in May, June, July 

 and August. 



