132 A NOVEMBER CHRONICLE. 



My best ornithological day was the 17th, 

 which, with a friend like-minded, I passed 

 at Ipswich Beach. The special object of our 

 search was the Ipswich sparrow, a bird un- 

 known to science until 1868, when it was 

 discovered at this very place by Mr. May- 

 nard. Since then it has been found to be 

 a regular fall and winter visitant along the 

 Atlantic coast, passing at least as far south 

 as New Jersey. It is a mystery how the 

 creature could so long have escaped detec- 

 tion. One cannot help querying whether 

 there can be another case like it. Who 

 knows ? Science, even in its flourishing 

 modern estate, falls a trifle short of omnis- 

 cience. 



My comrade and I separated for a little, 

 losing sight of each other among the sand- 

 hills, and when we came together again he 

 reported that he had seen the sparrow. He 

 had happened upon it unobserved, and had 

 been favored with excellent opportunities 

 for scrutinizing it carefully through a glass 

 at short range ; and being familiar with its 

 appearance through a study of cabinet spec- 

 imens, he had no doubt whatever of its 

 identity. This was within five minutes of 



