216 Lewis, Winter Robins in Nova Scotia. [ April 



wilder parts of Nova Scotia last fall or this spring, but no unusual 

 abundance or scarcity of Robin food has been revealed by such 

 observations as I have been able to make. It may be that the 

 migratory instinct failed last fall in a greater number of Robins 

 than usual, and thus more of them were influenced to remain here, 

 or it may be that subtle meteorological forces caused a change in the 

 migration of some of these birds. 



It has already been noted that low temperatures seem to have 

 accompanied the appearance of the Robins. In what way the 

 temperature may have caused the Robins to seek the inhabited 

 districts I cannot say, unless it might be by temporarily congealing 

 the surface of swampy and springy areas, which ordinarily remain 

 open in winter weather, and from which the Robins may have 

 obtained food when the rest of the country was covered with snow. 

 Further investigation appears to be much needed here. While 

 considering temperature, it is worthy of note that the past winter 

 was exceptional for one other thing besides the unusual numbers of 

 Robins seen — that is, for its long, unbroken periods of low tem- 

 perature. A direct relation between these two phenomena may 

 be suggested. In other parts of northern North America this low 

 temperature seems to have caused an unusual scarcity of winter 

 birds, but that was not the case here. 



After February 25, although the weather remained severe, there 

 appear to have been no observations of Robins in the province until 

 the arrival of the first spring migrants, noted at Halifax on March 

 26. This may be due to the birds' having finally left us for a more 

 congenial climate, but I am strongly inclined to believe that it was 

 caused by the destruction of practically all the Robins in the prov- 

 ince, their last available supplies of food having been exhausted. 

 This would account for the disagreement between the Robin graph 

 and the temperature graph after February 20. Although only 

 two dead Robins, other than those killed by an owl, were reported, 

 yet scarcely more than this would be expected, since most of the 

 birds would probably die in out-of-the-way places, and would soon 

 be covered by snow or devoured by animals. 



It is hoped that the facts and suggestions here presented may 

 throw some light on the subject of winter Robins and perhaps 

 help to point out some new lines of inquiry, so that before long 



