General Notes. 183 



northern Ohio before late December or early January. This seems 

 to presage an unusual southward movement of northern birds for this 

 winter, not only in Ohio, but the country over, since Ohio is the 

 key state in this respect as well as in politics. We feel confident 

 that activity in the field during this winter will result in the finding 

 of many unusual birds. Let us have your winter experiences in 

 time for the March Bulletin. 



It has been a constant regret to the editor that the department of 

 General Notes has been so lacking for the last two years. In every 

 observer's experience in the field there must be many things of inter- 

 est which cannot well be worlced into an article. These minor mat- 

 ters, as far as length of exposition is concerned, are therefore lost to 

 others because they do not find their way into print. This ought not 

 so to be. Send them in without waiting for the time for making up 

 the copy for the next Bulletin to come. Fresh experiences from 

 your field work are what enliven the pages of the Bulletin. 



For the sake of getting this number of the Bulletin out promptly 

 the result of the election of officers for 1907 will not be announced 

 in it, as has been the custom, but will be deferred uutil the March 

 number. It is always necessary to hold the Bulletin over for a week 

 or more in order to receive the result Qf the balloting. 



GENERxVL NOTES. 



Cupola, Chester County. Pennsylvania. In the early morning of 

 July 11, it was rather foggy. Insect life was evidently not very high 

 minded that morning, as the Barn Swallows were skinnning low over 

 the fields and apparently had to hustle for what food they secured. 

 I was bringing the cows in from pasture, and was a little surprised 

 to see a Barn Swallow fly up to one of them, snatch a fly from her 

 back, and then skim over the fields. 



One morning I was attracted by a great commotion among some 

 Robins, and going to ascertain the cause I found a nest of this spe- 

 cies, which was placed upon a horizontal branch of a willow. It 

 was evident that there was something wrong about this nest, since 

 the pair of Robins were flying about it and making a great noise. 

 As I could see nothing from the ground below I climbed to the level 

 of the nest and there came upon the offender. A red squirrel sat 

 upon an adjoining branch holding a Robin's egg in his paws, coolly 

 sucking it. I had long known this mammal to be called a nest robber, 

 but here he was caught in the act. 



