JCH'RNAI, Ol' :\IAINK OKNITHOI.OC.ICAI. SOCIKTV. I 15 



A Family ok Towiiee BuntinGvS. — One day in the latter 

 part of July, a bri<;ht, observant boy told me that he had seen a 

 bird somewhat smaller than a robin that showed white in its tail 

 when it flew. At once I said to myself, "a Chewink," and resolved, 

 if possible, to verify my conclusion. Accordingly, the next day, in 

 company with a friend and the kindly boy, I took an old wood road 

 that wound through a large pasture and began my search. After 

 walking some distance I heard the note of the bird, and a few steps 

 further on came upon a family of Towhee Buntings. Great was 

 the trepidation of the parent birds. The handsome male flew to the 

 topmost branch of a clump of bushes, and with constant flirtings of 

 his tail, poured forth a torrent of "chewinks" and "towhees," while 

 the mother bird fluttered about, trying to guide the young birds to 

 a place of safety. Through the low bushes I caught glimpses of 

 two little brown birds hopping over twigs in their efforts to get 

 away from the troublesome intruders, and judged from their move- 

 ments that they were not yet able to fly. I was delighted to find 

 these, to me, most interesting birds, breeding within a few miles 

 of Portland, for except in migration, Sebago is the only place in 

 Cumberland County where I had ever before seen them. 



Sara C. Kastman. 

 Portland, Me., November i, 1908. 



Notes from North Bridgton.— We noticed a small flock 

 of Yellow Palm Warblers here Oct. 14th. I mention this because 

 Prof. Knight giv^es Oct. ist as a late date about Bangor. • 



Pine Siskins are abundant, more so than at any time since 1878. 



Gunners are bringing in many Barred Owls, indicating an un- 

 usually large flight. 



Mrs. Mead and I had the pleasure of studying for two or three 

 days a young Sora Rail that, late in October, frequented a bit of 

 marshy shore near our boat house. We rarely see representatives of 

 this family in our locality. 



Since we have been living in our home an elm tree has grown 

 up close by our pantry window till now it is quite a stately tree. It 



