1SS7.] Correspondence. 7 C "2 



forest fire fanned by a southern breeze; that in their stupor, their in- 

 stincts teaching them at the time of fear to fly south if anywhere, they 

 flew into the smoke and got suffocated and frightened. No doubt thous- 

 ands lost their lives and fell into the flames below. The survivors then 

 flew away from the fire, and coming over this city were attracted by the 

 electric lights and flew madly against the walls of buildings. At the 

 Queen's Hotel, where the windows also had to be shut, there is alight as 

 well as at the 'Free Press.' Two years ago a similar stampede was re- 

 ported in one of the Southern States, but of Ducks alone. They flew in 

 hundreds against the electric masts, and then against buildings. Our 

 lights are on poles only 25 to 30 feet high. 



The birds were all small and most of them of this year. Among those 

 picked up or caught were the Redstart, the Black-and-white Creeper, the 

 Tennessee Warbler, the House Wren, Flycatchers, the Hermit Thrush, 

 the Golden-crowned Thrush, and the Chestnut-sided Warbler. The last 

 is a rare visitor here. Small Sparrows, I am told, had been found, but 

 I am not sure of this. 



Mr. W. Hurd, our taxidermist, saw next day a Thrush flying along 

 Main Street diagonally and only about two feet above the ground. The 

 birds were all weak, but many, like those which struck my windows, 

 evidently recovered, at least their senses. All were stupified, and many 

 had wounds evidently caused by barbed wire. 



In skinning the birds for preservation Mr. Hurd failed to notice any- 

 thing which could have caused death; the various organs appeared sound 

 and healthy, though the birds were rather small for him to be very certain 

 regarding all of them. 



I should have mentioned that the forests were on fire some eight miles 

 south of the city. — Alexander McArthur, Winnipeg, Manitoba. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



{Correspondents are requested to write briefly and to the point. No attention will 

 be paid to anonymous communications .~\ 



The Dermo-Tensor Patagii Muscle. 



To the Editors of the Auk : — 



Dear Sirs : — In this letter the writer proposes to reply to a criticism of 

 Leonhard Stejneger, which appeared in 'Science' August 5, of an account 

 of mine of a muscle which is present in certain birds, and which I desig- 

 nated by the name entitling this communication. 



To those who are aware of the conditions under which I prosecute my 

 anatomical work no word need be said ; my labors in the myology of 



