202 The Wilson Bulletin — No. Go. 



River, where they first appear to the observation of science. 

 However this may be, it is pretty certain that none ever re- 

 turn to their home habitat tO' tell the tale of their travels. Once 

 away from their arctic home they all die of starvation. Even 

 those that work down the St. Lawrence to salt water seem to 

 meet the same fate. The food habits of the species seems 

 never to have been worked out, and it is at present impossible 

 to say why they are unable tO' eke out a living in the lower lat- 

 itudes. Had some of the Arctic expeditions collected stom- 

 achs as well as bird skins this interesting little question might 

 be readily solved. There is one question that comes up. 

 The first occurrence of the Murre flight on the Great Lakes 

 seems lo have been in 1893. Now Hudson's Bay has been 

 freezing, and the wind has been blowing the ice about year 

 after year. Why then is it that it has only been of late that 

 • the species has appeared here? Though this has so' far failed 

 to receive satisfactory answer, Mr. Fleming's theory remains 

 the most probable one and, until a better one is advanced, 

 forms the only working hypothesis we have. 



At any rate, since 1893, almost yearly, the birds have ap- 

 peared in late Nbvember and early December on Lake On- 

 tario' in greater or less numbers, have struggled on and on 

 imtil their strength left them and they sank down 'wearily in 

 the lake, their bodies marking the final limit of their flight. 

 Usually but few of them get farther in this direction than this 

 end of Lake Ontario, but occasionally considerable numbers 

 have appeared as far up as Lake St. Clair. This last winter 

 was one of these latter cases. 



November 30 nine were seen ofif Grosse Point at the head 

 of the Detroit River, and three were taken. December 3 one 

 was taken on Lake Erie, near Munrce. December 7 I re- 

 ceived one from Windmill Point, Lake St. Clair, and two more 

 were taken near Munroe at different times during the same 

 month. A Point Pelee bird has already appeared in these 

 pages. All examined were ini the same state of emaciation. 



March 28, a live Yellow Rail was brought to- me. It had 

 been caught by a dog, and was one of two seen. This bird is 

 rare enough at any time to make it something of an acquisi- 



