No. 123.] DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY. 101 



Tremendous Flights of Wild Fou-l. — Before and during the 

 storm there were tremendous flights of ducks and geese. 

 Canada Geese, completely exhausted came down in woods, 

 pastures, fields and small ponds. In some cases they were ice- 

 covered. A large number of sea birds were driven in on Cape 

 Cod. Many small birds were covered with ice and succumbed 

 to cold and starvation. There was a very considerable flight of 

 Horned Owls in parts of the Canadian Provinces and a flight of 

 Barred Owls in northern New England. These migrations were 

 not noted in southern New England. On November 21 Gos- 

 hawks were reported in northern Ontario. During the latter 

 part of the month Evening Grosbeaks and Pine Grosbeaks 

 came into southern New England in increasing numbers, and 

 there were some reports of Redpolls and Pine Siskins. From 

 September onward until November there were many reports 

 of Mockingbirds, principally along the coast of southern New 

 England. 



Notable Events of the Year. 

 Among the outstanding events of the year were the spring 

 flight of Gnatcatchers, the flight of white herons, an unusual 

 flight of Great Northern Shrikes in October and November, an 

 immense autumnal migration of ducks, Canada Geese, brants 

 and Double-crested Cormorants, a southward autumnal move- 

 ment of boreal forest birds, and a remarkable number of cases 

 of partial albinism which have been reported from many parts 

 of New England among birds of many species from the size of 

 a sparrow to that of a crow or a duck. There seem to have 

 been few cases of complete albinism. 



An Inquiry regarding the Open Seasons on Certain Game 



Birds. 



At the opening of the year the result of the closed season on 

 Ruffed Grouse in 1919 seemed rather disappointing. The birds 

 had increased rapidly under protection in some sections, but 

 not in others. Many people had expressed the belief that the 

 birds should be protected at all times for one, two, three or 

 five years more. 



An insistent demand was made by gunners in southeastern 



