486 Mousley, Birds of Hatleij, Quebec. [o" t k 



Whip, whip, Pip, pip,' and ' Pip, pip, pip,' possibly, the ' Whip, whip ' ones 

 being the most often used. 



167. Vireosylva philadelphica (Cassin). Philadelphia Vireo. — 

 Rare transient. August 23. On the above date in August while working 

 through my favorite Warbler wood about a mile to the north of Hatley 

 Village, I was fortunate enough to get a glimpse of one of the above birds, 

 although the view at the time was really so imperfect that had it not been 

 for my good fortune in having Dr. Charles W. Townsend with me at the 

 time, I should hardly have felt justified in making the record public. 

 The Doctor, however, who was some little distance away from me at the 

 time, was fortunate in getting a much clearer view of it than I did, and 

 having seen the bird in life before was in a better position to affirm that it 

 was certainly a Philadelphia Vireo. 



From what I saw of it, possibly its smaller size as compared with the other 

 Vireos was the most dominant feature that impressed itself upon my mind 

 at the moment. 



168. Ectopistes migratorius (Linnaeus). Passenger Pigeon. — 

 Formerly a summer visitant, but now practically if not entirely extirpated. 



During the present year I have been fortunate in securing a book of 

 much local interest entitled ' The Canadian Naturalist,' written by P. H. 

 Gosse and published in London in 1840. 



Gosse it appears came to Compton, a village about seven miles to the 

 northeast of Hatley, in 1836 and remained there until 1839. During these 

 three years he wrote a general account of the flora and fauna of the dis- 

 trict, which includes the first specific reference as to the dates of the occur- 

 rence of the Passenger Pigeon in these parts that I have seen. The book 

 is written in the form (then somewhat prevalent) of a series of conversations 

 supposed to pass between a father and son. The first reference occurs on 

 page 199, where the son asks, " What birds are those flying so swiftly in a 

 small flock ?" (the date apparently being about June 10, 1838) ; to which the 

 father replies as follows, viz.: " That is the celebrated Passenger Pigeon 

 (Columba migratoria) and the first flock I have seen this year. They do 

 not appear to make their migrations, as birds in general do, to avoid 

 ungenial seasons, but to obtain in abundance that food which is most 

 suited to their wants; hence their appearances are very uncertain as to time. 

 They are common enough in this country every summer, but I have never 

 seen anything like the innumerable hosts of pigeons that fill the sky in the 

 forests of the west." Later the father goes on to say, " They are much 

 sought after for the table, as the flesh is delicate, and many are killed during 

 their sojourn with us." Again on page 293, in the first week in September 

 the son asks, " What birds are those which are hovering in a cloud about 

 yonder field of buckwheat ? " to which the father replies, " They are the 

 Common Passenger Pigeon {Columba migratoria); they devour a great 

 quantity of that grain in seasons when they are numerous with us. It is, 

 I believe, the only mischief we sustain from them; and the gun takes ample 

 revenge." 



