Z66 BAIN on Winter Birds of Prince Edward Island. [July 



Goshawks are resident here and the terror of the desolate win- 

 ter forest. Often we see the blood-stained snow and the scattered 

 feathers of a Jay, or the fur of a hare, where this marauder has 

 had his meal. 



Among Owls, the Barred and Horned Owls arc the most com- 

 mon. The Snowy Owl visits us in winter : and the curious 

 bell-like tones of the little Acadian Owl form the first voice of 

 spring in the wintry woodlands. 



After the ice closes round the Island in January we see but few 

 water fowl. Vet. in mild winters, occasional Golden eves. Old- 

 squaws, Mergansers, or Eider Ducks, maybe observed. Herring 

 and Black-backed Gulls come in during softer spells and survey 

 the ice-locked bosoms of the harbors for some quieter opening to 

 fish in. But the Terns and the great fleets of Bonaparte Gulls, 

 that all summer long drifted, like snow-clouds, round the blue 

 bays, had all left in October, when these were first silvered with 

 the breath of December. 



The Kittiwake is the true bird § of the wintery wave. In the 

 narrows of the harbor, where the contracted current is swiftest, 

 there is often a restricted opening in the ice. even in midwinter. 

 When the deep waters of the Gulf are frozen solid as far as the eye 

 can see from the most elevated hilltop, the Kittiwakes will come 

 in and gather round this little spot of blue, circling and dipping 

 and rending the keen air with their harsh ke-a. kc-o; reminding 

 us. as we watch them amid nature's fiercest aspect, ot the amaz- 

 ing possibilities of animate being. 



It will be observed that our northern visitors are about the same 

 as appear in the neighboring Provinces of the mainland. It is 

 otherwise with our summer visitants from the South. A Dumber 

 of birds of more southern habit, as the Catbird. Bluebird. Scar. 

 let Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Indigo Bunting. Bobolink- 

 Red-winged Blackbird. Meadow Lark. Baltimore Oriole, and 

 Whip-poor-will, which visit Xew Brunswick ami Nova Scotia, 

 are never seen on Prince Edward Island. There is no reason 

 to be found in the existing state of things why sime of these 

 birds should not stay over here and enjoy our delightful summer 

 season, which is superior to that of the Atlantic seaboard. The 

 reason is to be found in the fact that the Island was separated 

 from the mainland in the earlier days of the modern period, when 

 the climate was co >ler than at present, and the more southern 



