8 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Passer domesticus: English Sparrow. 



This species was observed at a farm 

 house by the stage road and at Fort 

 Kent, in small numbers. 



Of the thirteen native species, observed 

 six, Dryohates pubescens medianus, 

 Ceophkvus pileatus, Sitta canadensis^ 

 Parus hudsonicus, P. atricapillus and 

 Begulus satrapa, are to be classed as 

 birds whose food consists almost en- 

 tirely of aninml matter, insects, their 

 larvae or their eggs. 



Five, Bonasa umbelhis togata, Pinicola 

 envcleator, Loxia leucoptera, Acanthis 

 linaria, and Passerina nivalis, feed al-' 

 most entirely in winter on vegetable 

 matter, while the remaining two are quite 

 large and feed indiscriminately on animal 

 or vegetable substances. 



Of the first six, one, Parus hudsonicus 

 is a bird of northern distribution, hardly 

 straying so far as now known beyond 

 the limits of its summer habitat. 



Four, Ceophlcetis jnleatus, Dryohates 

 pubescens medianus, Parus atricapillus 

 and Regulus satrapa are quite evenly 

 and regularly distributed throughout 

 this state though of course Ceophlceus 

 pileatus is known to be resticted to its 

 wilder portions. 



So far as known their food supply is 

 quite regular ; thus they are not subject to 

 the necessity of an extended migration. 



The remaining species Sitta, canadensis 

 is with us an irregular winter resident. 

 Indeed it is equally irregular in its winter 

 movements throughout its range, which 

 extends southward along the mountain 

 range into North Carolina. Cf. Loomis 

 Auk. XI, p. 38, also IX 38. 



When the exact nature of its food is 

 better known, the reason for its irregular 

 migration may become more apparent. 



Of the five vegetable feeders, one, 



Bonasa umhellus togata is resident 

 throughout its range, subject only to an 

 incipient migration or possibly to a 

 wandering movement as the broods dis- 

 band in the fall. The birds feed large- 

 ly on the foliage and leaf buds of various 

 plants in winter and find a suflicient sup- 

 ply throughout the season. 



Another, Passerina nivalis, is quite 

 regular as a winter visitant, being quite 

 evenly distributed throughout the state, 

 as is also an abundance of suitable food, 

 consistinglargely of the seeds of grasses. 



The remaining three, Pinicola, Loxia 

 and Acanthis are quite remarkable for 

 the irregularity of their winter move- 

 ments, as well as their abundance or 

 scarcity. 



Now as we lake observations of the 

 fact that they are to a great extent de- 

 pendent on the seeds of arboreal plants 

 for food, and also of the fact that most 

 trees are not annual in their production 

 of crops of seed, some light is thrown on 

 the primary cause of the irregular move- 

 ments of these birds. 



Westbrook, Me., Dec. 26, 1898. 



Birds as Botanists. 



PROF. A. L. LANE. 



Bead before the Maine Ornithological Society 

 at Waterville, Dec. 31, ]898. 



Directly or indirectly at first hand or 

 at second hand, all animal life must take 

 its food at the courtesy of the vegetable. 

 This is the unwritten law never broken, 

 the higher life must depend upon the 

 lower. In fact, the most fundamental 

 distinction between the animal and the 

 vegetable is this, that the vegetable can 

 draw its sustenance directly from the 



