Mearns on Less Hardy Winter Residents. 33 



55. Totanus melanoleucus. Greater Telltale. — Seen occa- 

 sionally. 



56. Totanus flavipes. Lesser Telltale. 



57. Bucephala albeola. Buffle-head Duck. 



58. Anas obscura. Dusky Duck. — One specimen seen. 



59. Querquedula discors. Blue-winged Teal. Five specimens 

 seen. 



60. Graculus carbo. Cormorant. — One pair seen. 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE LESS HARDY WINTER RESI- 

 DENTS IN THE HUDSON RIVER VALLEY. 



BY EDGAR A. MEARNS. 



1 . Turdus migratorius. Robin. — A rather scarce winter resident 

 througliout tlie Hudson Valley ; occurring at least as far north as the 

 northern limit of the red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), perhaps much 

 farther. In the Highlands sizable flocks of Robins generally remain 

 all winter amongst the cedars, in sheltered situations, near the Hudson 

 River. I have found them quite as common in cold as in warm winters. 

 Very few — scarcely any — were seen during the winter of 1877-78, 

 which was the mildest I have ever experienced. The wintering birds 

 affect only certain favorite spots, where they subsist mainly upon the ber- 

 ries of the sumach (^R'l^us typhina) and red cedar. 



2. Turdus pallasi. Hermit Thrush. — A few sometimes winter 

 along the Hudson. In the Highlands, during the severe winter of 1874 - 75, 

 when birds of the Canadian Fauna, such as Pinicola enucleatov, Loxia leu- 

 copiera, L. ciirvirostra var. americana, jEgiothus linaria, Chrysomitris pinus, 

 and Plectrophanes nivalis, were very numerous, the Hermit Thrushes were 

 frequently observed or shot. They were found only in the cedar groves by 

 the river, and were very shy and silent ; only occasionally uttering, in a low 

 tone, their customary chuck. These wintering birds remained until the 

 middle of March, and the regular migrants began to arrive April 2. No 

 Hermits were seen here during the past extremely mild winter (1877 -78) ; 

 but " Mr. A. J. Huyler, a competent observer, told Mr. Ernest Inger- 

 soll, on several occasions, that he had seen Turdus pallasi at Tenafly, 

 N. J. [opposite Riverdale, N. Y.], during each month of the past winter, 

 — of course not in any great numbers." * Mr. Huyler since writes me that 

 he " took a specimen of T. pallasi during the past winter, about the mid- 

 dle of February." Mr. Eugene P. Bicknell, of Riverdale, N. Y. (to 

 whom I am indebted for many valuable notes on our winter birds), writes 



* E. P. Bicknell ^c?e Ernest Ingersoll. 

 VOL. IV. 3 



