I A DwighT, Summer Birds of Prince Edward Island. ^ * 



in the western portion of the island. None were noted at Sonris, although 

 I have no doubt they occur there. 



Sylvania pusilla. Wilson's Warbler. — One specimen was secured 

 at Tignish in an extensive arbor-vitae and alder swamp. This is a retir- 

 ing species and is probably not uncommon if particular search be made 

 for it. 



Sylvania canadensis. Canadian Warbler. — Rather common about 

 Tignish, but not met with elsewhere, although I have no doubt it occurs 

 in suitable localities. 



Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart. — Abundant. One of its 

 songs might be easily confused with one of D. maculosa. The importance 

 of recognizing songs in a region where the denseness of the woods and 

 underbrush renders the sight or capture of the vocalist often well-nigh 

 impossible, is very great, but to depend entirely upon one's ear in identi- 

 fying birds is a procedure greatly to be deprecated. 



Troglodytes hiemalis. Winter Wren. — Tolerably common in damp 

 woods along brooks, or sometimes in more open localities. On July 6 I 

 met with a family of young birds able to fly. That so minute a bird 

 should produce such a volume of liquid sound is ever to me a source of 

 wonderment. It is often impossible to see the little fellow when he is 

 pouring forth his song right over your head, but those who have ever 

 entered a dense second-growth of spruces, with a wilderness of dead twigs 

 interlacing below, know one of the difficulties that beset the path of the 

 collector in the northern woods. 



Sitta canadensis. Red-bellied Nuthatch. — I had about given up 

 seeing this species at all when I came upon several at Souris, probably a 

 family. They feed usually in the upper boughs of spruces, and seldom 

 run up and down the trunks of trees like their white-breasted brethren. 

 They have a nasal cry of one note, uttered with varying intensity, and 

 never rapidly repeated like the other species. Of course I should not 

 venture such general conclusions as these with regard to this species, nor 

 to others, if they were not based upon further observations made else- 

 where. 



Parus atricapillus. Black-capped Chickadee. — Occasionally small 

 roving families were encountered, so that it is probably a fairly common 

 species. 



Parus hudsonicus. Hudsonian Chickadee. — Tolerably common, but 

 not attracting attention to itself so aggressively as does atricapillus. 

 However, when it does speak out, it always seems to me to make use of 

 the ungrammatical expression 'It's md-e,' with a good deal of emphasis on 

 the 'me-e.' 



Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned Kinglet. — Infrequently ob- 

 served. Young were on the wing the last of June. It should have 

 proved much more abundant than I found it to be. 



Turdus ustulatus swainsonii. Olive-backed Thrush. — Very abun- 

 dant, almost equalling in numbers the Hermit Thrush. They are usually 

 excessively shy and difficult to obtain, although several may be singing 



