Vol l909" VI ] Trotter, Land-Bird Fauna of N. E. America. 223 



time of which he writes Ohio and Kentucky were still covered with 

 much woodland. He further adds, "they are rarely observed to 

 pass over South Carolina," a statement that would indicate that 

 this species did not migrate along the coastal plain from the south, 

 but spread eastward from its main prairie center of distribution. 



So much for this aspect of the problem which is here briefly re- 

 viewed. There is abundant room for further research into the 

 past and present relations of our eastern bird fauna, and it is the 

 purpose of this paper to point out certain facts that seem to indicate 

 changes in the status of the bird population of various districts. 

 It is hazardous to attempt to draw conclusions as to the past history 

 of a fauna from such slight evidence as the present distribution of 

 species, but some irregularities in the distribution of certain species 

 of birds seem to have been remotely the result of certain geological 

 processes, at least within the post-glacial period. What evidence I 

 have to offer in support of this statement is as follows: For a 

 number of years I resided during the summer months (from mid- 

 June to September) at Barrington, Nova Scotia. Barrington lies 

 just back of Cape Sable Island at the extreme southern end of the 

 peninsula. The general aspect of the surrounding region is that 

 of a typical boreal country — - a coniferous forest, composed 

 mainly of spruces and balsam fir, interspersed with tamarack 

 swamps, sphagnum moors with their associate flora, notably 

 Labrador tea (Ledum), Rhodora, and several species of Vaccinium, 

 thickets of the northern alder, and aspens and birches. The bird 

 fauna is decidedly Canadian in its character, such forms as the 

 Olive-backed and Hermit Thrushes, the Hudsonian Chickadee, 

 the Golden-crowned Kinglet, the Red-bellied Nuthatch, the Nash- 

 ville, Yellow Redpoll, Magnolia, and Myrtle Warblers, the Junco, 

 the White-throated Sparrow, the Solitary Vireo, the Rusty Black- 

 bird, the Canada Jay, the Alder and Olive sided Flycatchers, and 

 the Black-billed Cuckoo being more or less abundant throughout 

 the breeding season, while the Pine Grosbeak, the Pine Siskin, and 

 both species of Crossbills were abundant during certain years in 

 the breeding time, but conspicuously absent in other summers. 

 With this assemblage of Canadian birds were many other widely 

 spread species as the Robin, the Song Sparrow, the Black and 

 White, Chestnut-sided, and Yellow Warblers, the Savannah 



