° 8g J DwiGHT, Summer Birds of Prince Edward Island. I I 



other. Although the call notes are quite distinguishable, those of leucof- 

 tera being harsher, it is no easy matter to determine percentages in chat- 

 tering flocks of a dozen or more birds. Their favorite feeding haunts were 

 larch trees, and, unless disturbed, they were silent as they hung about the 

 branches in all conceivable attitudes, usually upside down. They also 

 feed on the seeds from the green cones of the fir which are tipped with 

 freshly exuded pitch at this season, if it be a cone year. The pitch often 

 mats on the bills and feathers of the birds. Dissection showed the 

 breeding season to be long past. 



Loxia leucoptera. White-winged Crossbill. — Rather numerous. 

 The remarks made under the preceding species apply also to this. 

 Neither can be seen every day, for both are great wanderers. 



Spinus tristis. American Goldfinch. — A few seen almost daily. 



Spinus pinus. Pine Siskin. — It surprised me to meet with this species 

 but once — a male at Souris. Dissection showed the bird to be breeding. 



Poocaetes gramineus. Vesper Sparrow. — An abundant bird, frequent- 

 ing the open fields in the more settled districts. 



Ammodramus sandwichensis savanna. Savanna Sparrow. — It is 

 probably the most abundant bird on the island, and is found everywhere 

 except in woods. On sand beaches, marshes, or dry fields its weak song 

 was constantly to be heard, and in certain pastures it seemed as if every 

 third fence post were occupied by a singer. As an illustration that flying 

 is a matter of practice on the part of young birds, I instance a young 

 Savanna Sparrow that I flushed one windy day in a pasture where the 

 grass was very short. The wind upset all his calculations and himself as 

 well, apparently getting under his wings and turning him upside down 

 every time he started on a fresh flight. He would get along pretty well 

 for a rod or so and then a puff would send him bowling over the sod till 

 he reached a point of fright and exhaustion that left him panting just 

 where he happened to roll. 



Ammodramus caudacutus subvirgatus. Acadian Sharp-tailed 

 Finch. — A few birds in a salt marsh at Tignish were the only ones I could 

 discover, although I searched in many other localities. As Mr. Wm. 

 Stone found this form abundant at Tignish in 1876 (recorded as A. cauda- 

 cutus, for subvirgatus was not then separated, Brewster, Bull. N. O. C, 

 Vol. II, Jan. 1877, p. 28), I was surprised not to find it more abundant. I 

 saw likely ground along East River, but did not have time to explore it, 

 and the birds very possibly may be locally distributed here and at other 

 points also. 



Zonotrichia albicollis. White-throated Sparrow. — This bird so 

 characteristic of the Canadian Fauna is less abundant than the ubiquitous 

 Junco, but on account of its loud and striking song is far better known to 

 the average inhabitant. It is a bird of the clearings, building its nest 

 upon the ground in a bunch of weeds, and singing nearly all of the time 

 it is not occupied scolding intruders. Its well-known song is easily 

 imitated, and it is amusing to see how angry and excited a male will 

 become if he thinks another has strayed into his own domain. The song 



