TAVERNER AND SWALES, ON BIRDS OF POINT PELEE. 151 



during the brief hurried glance that it allows us, unless the condi- 

 tions of light and situation are excellent. In general, however, it 

 can often be told by the evener and grayer cast of the back, lacking 

 the more conspicuous longitudinal streaks of the former bird. Of 

 course, when a clear view of the breast is obtained, with its ochra- 

 ceous band, fine spotting high up on the breast, and the lack of the 

 heart mark so conspicuous in nearly all plumages of the Song Spur 

 row, 4t is easily identified. September 20, 1906, Saunders took one 

 bird from amongst some Song Sparrows in a brush pile in Gardner's 

 yard. 

 13G. Helospiza georglana. Swamp Sparrow. 



Though a common breeder on the St. Clair Flats and an abundant 

 and regular migrant locally in our territory about Detroit, our rec- 

 ords for the species on the Point are few and not perfectly satisfac- 

 tory. Keays lists two seen September 19, 1901. We have two not 

 very convincing sight records, October 15, 1906, and June 1, 1907. 

 Neither of these birds were seen well enough for us to be perfectly 

 positive of our identification. We searched the marshes carefully 

 for them September 10, 1905, the 19th, 1906, and October 15, 1906, 

 but without avail. At the time of the latter date they should have 

 been very common, as we find great hosts of them in such places at 

 this date about Detroit. 



137. *Passerilla iliaca. Fox Sparrow. 



On but one occasion have our visits fallen within the dates of the 

 migrations of the species. October 14-15, 1906, several were XMMI. 

 At least seven the first day and one the next. 



138. *Pipilo erythropthalmus. Towhee. 



Not very common during spring dates. Very few seen May 13-14, 

 1905, and but moderately common the 20th and 21st, and 30th and 

 31st of the same month of the two succeeding years. Quite common 

 the first half of September and one seen as late as October >. r. ''>. 

 In 1906 but one was seen the first three days of September, and but 

 two from the 15th to the 22d, but October 14-15 it was common. 

 From August 24 to September 6, 1907, from one to fifteen were - 

 every day. Our earliest spring date is March 9, 1907, when one \v.-is 

 taken in the still snow-filled woods. We were inclined to regard this 

 as a wintering bird, but as the next week there were several t.> in- 

 seen about Detroit, it is not at all clear that it was not an early mi- 

 grant. Our latest date is October 20, 1905. 



139. *Cardinalis cardinaJi*. Cardinal. 



Point Pelee and its vicinity boasts of being (lie only locality in 

 the Dominion of Canada where the Cardinal is regular and common. 

 The status of this species has been dwelt upon at s.nm> lemrth in 

 the Auk, XXIV, 1907, p. 146, by the authors and the data therein giv- 



