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56 EiFRiG, Rare Winter Birds at Ottawa. [jan 



berries. They were noisier than the Waxwings, frequently uttering 

 loud call notes and little warbles. The former had much of the 

 quality of those of the English Sparrow mixed with the tone-quality 

 of those of the Robin; the latter reminded one still more strongly 

 of the Robin's song. After the trees at their first station were strip- 

 ped, they roamed more about the city, being seen in several places, 

 but from time to time they would come back to the first place, as 

 though they liked it best. Then they disappeared from the city 

 and it was thought they had left us entirely, but in April they were 

 rediscovered in a small woods near the city limits, which is com- 

 posed of ash, elm, and white pine trees. It was hoped that some 

 might take it into their head to breed, but they were no longer seen 

 after May 15, thus staying here over three months. Three speci- 

 mens were secured for the writer, one adult male, a female and a 

 young male. An analysis of the stomach-contents made at Wash- 

 ington showed in one, seeds of sumac 8 percent, seeds or rather 

 cotyledons of some species of ash {Fraxinus) 92 percent; in the 

 other two only the ash cotyledons. As they were shot from ash- 

 leaved maple trees {Acer negnndo), this seems remarkable. The 

 adult of this species also is much darker than other specimens in 

 collections examined and compared by the writer. 



The Pine Grosbeaks (Pinicola enucJeator) also favored us with 

 their presence in greater numbers and for a longer time than they 

 do usually. At times, near that old orchard referred to above, there 

 were about fifty in sight. The greater number are always females 

 and young. In a flock of about ten, one may expect to find one 

 to three bright colored males. But, as in everything, these birds 

 are eccentric also in this respect; some flocks are composed entirely 

 of females and young, and some again of only old males. They 

 are very greedy feeders. One that I kept in a cage for a day, from 

 the moment he was brought in, devoured, practically all the time, 

 the rowan berries provided for him, not minding the new surroiaid- 

 ings and the people watching him in the least. Indeed, they are 

 so intent on feeding, that boys often catch them by slipping a horse 

 hair noose over their heads. In a short time the litter from the 

 berries covered the ground below every mountain ash tree. Often 

 when seeing this, and looking up, one will find a flock busily eating 

 above him, which he would otherwise not have suspected of being 



