46 JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Notes and observations upon bird life within our State are earnestly desired from all our readers 

 for publication in this column, and should be sent to the Associate Editor, Frank T. Noble, Augusta, 

 Maine. 



KiNGFLSHER AND ENGLISH Sparrow. — Mr. B. B. Wciitworth, 

 an observer of bird life, reports witnessing a Kingfisher destroy- 

 ing and eating the young of the English Sparrow {Passer doinesthus) . 

 The incident related occurred beneath his ofhce window in the City 

 Building at Augusta, overlooking the river bank. 



The Kingfisher would visit the vSparrow's nest, and, taking one 

 of the newly hatched young, woidd carry it to a limb of a willow 

 tree and there devour it calmly, although surrounded by a number 

 of vigorously protesting Sparrows. 



This is the first instance of the kind that has been brought to 

 our notice, and if Ccryle alcyon could be depended upon to continue 

 this good work, we would advocate colonizing a quantity of them in 

 this vicinity, where the Sparrows are a great nuisance. Ed. 



Yellow-Throated Vireo at Westbrook. — The Yellow- 

 throated Vireo has been so little observed in Maine as to warrant 

 the generalization of being the "Rarest of our Vireos except the 

 Philadelphia." 



It is a denizen of the tree tops, a leisurely gleaner in the upper- 

 most foliage. To the unpracticed, or careless, its song would hardly 

 be distinguished from that of the Red-eyed, though in tone there is 

 a striking difference. Though quite widely distributed in Maine, 

 its appearance seems noteworthy wherever it appears. 



On May 12, 1902, I secured a male in Westbrook, and at the 

 same place, on May 17, Mrs. Norton identified another bird of the 

 same species. 



No particular .search was made the following spring. In the 

 fall, however, Sept. g, 1903, one was found dead by the side of a 

 building in Westbrook and brought to me. 



On May 22, 1904, attracted by its song, Mrs. Norton and my- 

 self positively identified one of these birds in a shaded section of a 



