12 



JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



in the direction of the mainland, only to 

 return a few moments later and alight 

 on the trees. 



Soon there were two hundred or more 

 on the few trees which I was able to see. 

 All the time they remained they were 

 very restless, often leaving the trees to 

 make a few gyrations in air, return- 

 ing to some other tree, rarely the one 

 they had left. These maneuvers they 

 continued until it stopped snowing, when 

 with seemingly joyous notes, they at 

 once continued their flight toward the 

 west. 



After November 20th, the number of 

 flocks decreased daily until at the pres- 

 ent time, December 7th, only a scatter- 

 ing flock is to be seen. This species 

 seems to be very plenty on the mainland 

 in this vicinity this winter. 



A Few Winter Notes. 



Our winter birds are rather more com- 

 mon than they were a year ago, but do 

 not seem very abundant. Pine Siskins 

 and Redpolls have been fairly common 

 since early in November, flocks of the 

 latter species being seen about the vil- 

 lage nearly every day. 



A Northern Shrike was seen Novem- 

 ber 6th, the only one observed up to 

 the present time. 



On November 30th a little time was 

 spent in the woods and a flock of eight 

 or ten white-winged Cross-bills was 

 seen, and one was secured with difficulty, 

 as the birds were very restless. This is 

 the first occurrence of this species in 

 this locality, of which I have record. 



An Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker 

 was seen the same day. 



The mild weather during the latter 

 part of November and early in Decem- 

 ber, was probably lespousible for the 

 occurrence of a Robin on Dec. 1st, nnd 

 a Song Sparrow on Dec. 19th: both 

 species much later than I have ever 

 known them to stop befoi'e. 



Pine Grosbeaks have not yet made 

 their appearance here, and Snowflakes 

 have been absent, the first flock, of 

 about twenty-five birds, being seen this 

 morning. 



C. H. MOKKELL. 



Pittsfield, Jan. 7, 1900. 



On the occurrence of Larus Delewaren- 

 sis Ord. 



In the list of the "Birds of Maine," 

 Page 19, Mr. Knight remarks, that the 

 Ring-billed Gull {Larus Deleiuarensis) 

 is not reported a common migrant, but 

 probabl}' is more common than the re- 

 ports would indicate. Mr. John Lord, 

 the taxidermist here, informs me, he 

 has had over one hundred Ring-bills, 

 brought to him this fall. This would 

 throw some light upon the above state- 

 ment. — Ed. 



The Pine Grosbeaks were first seen 

 near Woodfords, Jan. 14th. Quite a 

 flock came into the apple and tulip trees 

 in our yard, picking over the seeds on 

 the tulip. Have made frequent visits 

 since. There was a Pine Siskin in their 

 company today. The first and onh^ one 

 seen here so far, Jan, 31st. 



J. M. S. 



