Vol. XX r 

 1904 . 



General Notes. 3^9 



not at that time succeed in fully identifying them, the snow being deep 

 and I was not suitably dressed for wading. Jan. 17, 1904, equipped for 

 any depth of snow, I went to the same localitj' for the purpose of 

 ascertaining if possible what the birds were. They were found in the 

 same general locality and identified fully as Myrtle Warblers. I saw 

 three at that time. They were living in the edge of evergreen woods and 

 were found feeding on a weedy slope a hundred feet from the shore of 

 Casco Bay. The principal growth here was the bayberry or wax myrtle, 

 and the birds were observed feeding in these bushes. Jan. 24, 1904, I 

 took with me to the place J. F. Fanning, Esq., and J. W. Leathers, Esq., 

 of Portland, both members of the Maine Ornithological Society and both 

 experienced observers. The identity of the Myrtle Warblers was fully 

 confirmed by them. Three and perhaps four of the birds were seen at 

 this time. Jan. 31, 1904, I took with me Mr. Leathers and Mr. Arthur H. 

 Norton, of Westbrook, the latter the leading ornithologist of this locality, 

 whose contributions to 'The Auk' are familiar to all its readers. The 

 birds were again fully identified and it was made almost certain that 

 there were four in the flock. Feb. 7, 1904, I again \-isited the place and 

 found the birds still there, but could not count more than three. Feb. 

 14, 1904, in company with Mr. Fanning and Mr. Leathers, I saw one 

 Myrtle Warbler at Cumberland, fully ten miles from Pond Cove. This 

 one was near a large growth of wax myrtle bushes. I did not visit Pond 

 Cove again until Feb. 28, 1904. At this time it was raining and no 

 Myrtle Warblers were seen. March 6, 1904, I was again at Pond Cove 

 but saw no warblers. March 13, 1904, Mr. Fanning, Mr. Leathers and I 

 visited Pond Cove and found the Myrtle Warblers in the same place as 

 on previous visits. This time six of them were seen in the air at the 

 same time, as they flew up from the Avax mj'rtle bushes at our approach, 

 and were again identified beyond a doubt by all three of us. 



Two Robins wintered in this same locality, being seen on four or five 

 visits through January to March. A Song Sparrow was also seen here in 

 January and one on March 13. All these birds apparently found plenty 

 of food during the very cold weather and all thrived on the fare thev 

 secured fi-om the sunny slope on which they spent the greater part of the 

 time. 



The winter was the severest for at least twenty-five years, as evidenced 

 by the freezing of the whole of Casco Bay inside the islands. Fiom 300 

 to 500 Black Ducks were driven into the inner harbor by the closing of 

 their usual feeding grounds among the islands. They congregated near 

 Martin's Point bridge on the Falmouth shore and for several weeks staid 

 within two hundred yards of the bridge, flying up at the approach of the 

 electric cars which cross the bridge every fifteen minutes. They suffered 

 to some extent for food, and corn and other things were thrown on the 

 flats for them by kind-hearted persons, who thought the birds were liable 

 to starve. Not one of them died, as a matter of fact, except a few whose 

 •death was doubtless due to flying against the wires which pass over the 



