218 | General Notes. [ fers 
Rare Winter Visitants in the Vicinity of Plainfield, New Jersey.— 
The past winter has been the most interesting, ornithologically, in the 
writer’s local field experience of more than twenty years. The following 
five rare winter visitants are the most noteworthy species observed. 
EVENING GROSBEAK (Hesperiphona vespertina vespertina). A pair of 
Evening Grosbeaks were observed in a grove of cedars on December 17, 
1916, and the female was still present on December 25. This cedar grove 
is in the Washington Valley near Scotch Plains, and is the spot in which 
Evening Grosbeaks were found in January and February, 1911, my only 
other record of this species (see Bird-Lore, Vol. XIII, 1911, p.95). It may 
be well to record that a male was collected on February 12, and a female 
on February 19, 1911. As on former occasions the Grosbeaks were feeding 
on the drupes of the Flowering Dogwood, particularly on the kernel, but 
probably to some extent on the pulp also. 
PINE GRosBEAK (Pinicola enucleator leucura). In the same cedar grove 
a female Pine Grosbeak was seen on December 31, 1916, and on January 
28, 1917, two females were present. On February 11 only a single female 
could be found. On all three occasions they were eating the Red Cedar 
berries in company with Purple Finches. My only previous records of this 
species were made in the winter of 1903-4. A number of specimens were 
collected on January 4, 1904. 
Rep CrosssBiLL (Loria curvirostra minor). No White-winged Cross- 
bills have been observed during the winter to date of writing (February 16) 
and Red Crossbills have been noted but twice, a single bird on December 10, 
and another on December 24, 1916. Both were flying over, the charac- 
teristic ‘‘kip kip” serving to identify them. It is probable that there would 
have been more Crossbills in this region but for the local scarcity of spruee 
and pine cones this season. 
ReEpDPOLL (Acanthis linaria linaria). Redpolls have been more abundant 
than ever before in my experience. They were observed on numerous 
occasions from late November to February 11. The largest number was 
recorded on December 25 when about 120 were counted. The seeds of 
the White Birch constitute their chief food. An adult male collected on 
January 1 agrees with A. l. linaria in size, but is decidedly less brown above 
than typical specimens of that form. It is now in the collection of Dr. 
Jonathan Dwight. 
LABRADOR CHICKADEE (Penthestes hudsonicus nigricans Townsend). On 
December 17, 1916, a couple of Labrador Brown-cap Chickadees were 
discovered in the same cedar grove, in which the Pine and Evening Gros- 
beaks were found. One was seen in the same spot on December 25, and 
on the 31st both birds were again met with. On the latter date one bird, 
a female, was collected. This specimen has been identified by Dr. Charles 
W. Townsend as belonging to his recently deseribed Labrador race. Later: 
dates for the remaining individual are January 14 and 28. On January 7, 
a single bird of this species was seen on the north side of the Third Watchung 
Mountain between Plainfield and Stirling. Judging by its dark cap it also 
