482 Mousley, Birds of Hatley, Quebec. [o" t k 



wells and nearly all the brooks to run dry in August), broke down, 

 and a period of nearly incessant rain set in, which lasted well into 

 the middle of October. This state of things made bird hunting 

 no sinecure, it being next to impossible to locate small Warblers or 

 any other birds for that matter in a downpour of rain. However, 

 I did fairly well considering, as another Broad-winged Hawk was 

 noted on the fourteenth as well as a Yellow Palm Warbler, the only 

 one seen in either the spring or fall migration. The most interest- 

 ing event, however, was the locating of a few Blackpoll Warblers 

 between the eighteenth and thirtieth of the month, these birds 

 being first noted in the orchard near our house, and afterwards 

 along the roadside, an example on one occasion being taken to 

 insure correct identification. This is the first time of meeting 

 them in the fall, and in the spring, as already stated, only two males 

 have so far been located. The scarcity of this species is an inter- 

 esting problem to which I have drawn attention in last year's notes. 

 On the afternoon of the twentieth a flock of twenty-six Blue Jays 

 passed at close range. It is not often that one sees so many of these 

 birds together, the greatest previous number I can call to mind 

 being seven. With Robins, however, it is a different matter, for 

 on the twenty-third I saw a large flock, consisting of two hundred 

 or more, which frequented exactly the same locality as they did 

 last year, only the date was rather later then, it being the middle 

 of October. Brown Creepers put in an appearance about now, 

 these little birds being by no means plentiful here. White-crowned 

 Sparrows were also seen on the twenty-third and remained until 

 October 14, being more abundant at this time than in former 

 years. A flock of American Pipits, consisting of seventy-five to 

 one hundred birds, was seen on October 4, but they only remained 

 a few days, being gone by the eighth. Sparrows of all kinds were 

 very plentiful just about now, the Tree and Fox putting in an 

 appearance on the tenth and twelfth respectively. Of the latter 

 I never see very many in a season; possibly half a dozen or so 

 would about be an average. On the fourteenth I returned to my 

 old residence near "the marsh," not having done so at the end of 

 last year, as intimated in my Notes for 1916-1917. For many 

 reasons this has been a considerable advantage, as it has enabled 

 me to form a more accurate idea of the great difference a matter 



