AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



24a 



was no mistaking his autumnal song note of "cheery-up" and "thorough- 

 wort." And by the way, I had an opportunity this fall while crossing 

 Lake Huron on a steamer, of associating intimately for several hours with 

 a number of these migrants. After a heavy gale on the previous night 

 which doubtless blew the migrating birds out of their course seaward, our 

 boat was boarded by juncos, white-throated sparrows, pine warblers, yel- 

 low warblers, a pair of wrens, a grackle, a Blackburnian warbler, and a 

 black-throated blue warbler, and exhaustion and hunger had rendered 

 them so tame that they hopped about our steamer chairs like pet chickens, 

 picking up the numerous insects that swarmed about the deck. It was a 

 truly delightful experience to a bird lover, this intimate association with 

 birds naturally so shy and timid. 



Another sign of the approach of winter is the return to city quarters of 

 the English sparrows from their summer residence in the surrounding 

 country where many of them had the good sense to immigrate during the 

 heated term. After all these poor little beggars are better than no feath- 

 ered associates to house-bound ornithologists during the long winter days, 

 and after all is said and done, they are birds, and no bird is without inter- 

 est. A few robins are to be seen here in the deep woods during the win- 

 ter, also an occasional blue jay and crossbill, but for constant association 

 we have to depend mostly upon the chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, 

 crows and their ilk. However, if one is interested, there is always a good 

 deal of wild life about, if one but takes the trouble to seek it out, for my 

 observation has taught me that, in reason, one can always find what one 



looks for. Alberta A. FIELD. 



