406 NOVA SCOTIAN ZOOLOGY — PIERS. 



that regarding the filaments on the rictal bristles— has completely 

 reassured me. The Whippoorwill lias previously been found 

 in Nova Scotia, whereas the Chuck-will's-widow only ranges 

 north to North Carolina and Southern Illinois, and has not 

 hitherto been detected in Canada. The present specimen can 

 only be regarded as a mere straggler. 



NiGHTHAWK ( Chordeiles virginianus). This bird seems to be 

 uncommon at Windsor, Hants County, N. S. From the 

 middle of May until the end of July, LS92, I only observed two 

 or three individuals. About 8th September, I saw the same 

 number near King's College, but they were doubtless merely 

 migrating southward. The steward of the College told me that 

 in former years they were much less scarce in that locality. Mr. 

 Bishop says that they are common on the '' barrens." Near 

 Halifax they are abundant. 



Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus). This bird I found quite 

 common in the vicinity of Windsor and in other parts of th& 

 western counties. One day I had an opportunity of observing 

 the great courage of the species. A single Kingbird attacked 

 and turned aside a flock of about forty Crows which was so 

 foolhardy as to trespass upon the domain which he apparently 

 considered to be the property of himself alone. The species is 

 rare in Halifax County, 



Bobolink ( Dolichonyx oryzivorus). The very great abund- 

 ance of Bobolinks in the western part of the province is a 

 noticeable contrast to the present rarity, oi* rather al sence, of 

 these birds about Halifax. They are without doubt the most 

 conspicuous objects in the ornithological fauna of the flat stretches 

 of dyked land from Windsor westward. When coming from 

 Halifax, the first of these rollicking songsters is met in the 

 vicinity of the St. Croix River, Mr. W. Bishop, formerly of Kent- 

 ville, informs me that the males arrive in the province between the 

 15th and 19th of May, and the females about a week later. The 

 first I noted in 1892, were two males on the 18th May. All 

 leave the province between the 5th and the 20th of September. 

 On 18th June, 1890, I heard a single bird singing its unmistak- 

 able ditty in a wood not far from my home in Halifax. It was 



