DELAWARE VALLEY ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 37 



eight. During the next spring and summer the voice of the 

 Bobwhite was silent, and not a bird was left in the region. 



The Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, especially the former, 

 were very active, and four of them were flying back and forth 

 among the top branches of the oaks, and uttering that shrill 

 rattling note, well known in mating season. 



The Snowflake was my greatest joy, three flocks of from five 

 to fifteen being encountered; all near houses or on the road. 

 The people are very fond of them, and the birds are regularly 

 fed by the natives. One flock of a dozen were seen near the 

 front porch of a house, eating buckwheat that had been thrown 

 out to them; and they exercised themselves by flying, much as 

 Bluebirds do, from the peak of the roof to the orchard trees 

 close by, and down to the buckwheat on the ground. 



The Juncos, though found in abundance on my other trips 

 were almost absent, only three being seen. As they are accus- 

 tomed to migrating they know better how to protect themselves 

 than the Quail, and evidently had moved southward or to lower 

 altitudes. A resident who had noticed their absence said he 

 never before had known them to so completely desert the coun- 

 try at this season of the year. He had not seen one for several 

 weeks. 



The Chickadees {Pariis atricapillus) were abundant, happy as 

 usual, and apparently in no way affected by the snow, and 

 found an unfailing supply of insect life under branches and half- 

 hidden in the crevices of the bark. 



Four Song Sparrows in the low lands near the stream were 

 seen, one or two at a time, silently and persistently holding the 

 fort. 



Horned Larks, a few in number, confined their feeding-ground 

 to roads, walking along the sleigh-tracks and hopping in and 

 out of the hoof-marks. 



Crows, Blue Jays, a single Goldfinch, several White-breasted 

 Nuthatches, and a Golden-crowned Kinglet were also observed, 

 and in spite of nature's food-supply, it is apparent in these ex- 

 treme winters that the birds depend at least to some extent upon 

 the farmers for their existence. Besides the buckwheat for the 

 Snowflakes, Quail and Grouse, the man with whom we stopped 



