Vol 'i9i9 XYI ] Lewis, Winter Robins in Nova Scotia. 215 



December January February March Total. 

 Total snowfall/ 1904-05 26.3 45.9 37.4 11.6 121.2 

 in inches ) 1917-18 33.4 15.1 42.8 30.2 121.5 



Although the totals for the two winters are practically alike, yet 

 it will be observed that by February 1, 1918, after a snowfall of 

 48.5 inches in December, 1917, and January, 1918, Robins were 

 observed as fairly common throughout Nova Scotia, whereas a 

 snowfall of 72.2 inches in December, 1904, and January, 1905, 

 appears to have caused no unusual observations of Robins in the 

 province, nor is there record, so far as I can discover, of any larger 

 number of these birds than usual being seen here at any time that 

 winter. These facts would seem to tend to show either that in the 

 winter of 1917-18 an unusual number of Robins did remain in this 

 part of Canada, or that their appearance in the settled parts of the 

 country was due to other causes than the heavy snowfall, or that 

 both of these hypotheses are true. 



It has been suggested to me by Prof. E. C. Allen, of Truro, N. S., 

 that many of the Robins seen in Nova Scotia this winter may have 

 spent the first part of the winter outside of this province, in the 

 neighboring, wilder regions to the northward. In proposing this 

 theory he says, "Granting that scattered Robins do remain [in 

 winter] in regions north of Nova Scotia (a fact concerning which I 

 have no evidence), would not the continued cold weather tend to 

 drive them south, and, owing to the contour of the coast, might 

 they not hesitate to cross the water south of us in winter, and there- 

 fore be more or less congested here? ... It might be argued that 

 Robins would not hesitate to cross the Atlantic strip of water south 

 of us, as many thousands do cross in the fall. On the other hand, 

 might it not be possible that in winter the migratory instinct might 

 not be sufficiently strong to carry them straight out to sea over 

 rough water?" There is need of data from New Brunswick, 

 Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland concerning winter 

 Robins to throw additional light on this interesting theory. 



If the number of Robins which remained here last winter was 

 greater than usual, the cause of this condition is wholly problemati- 

 cal. I have not had such opportunities as I desire for observing 

 the abundance of juniper berries and mountain ash berries in the 



