99 



about the middle of the month of October in large 

 flocks. They are seldom, seen perching upon trees 

 but on one occasion, December 10th, 1882. I saw 

 a flock of about fifty resting upon the topmost 

 twigs of a tall tree at Outremont, and to make sure 

 of their identity, I waded through the deep snow 

 to the tree and shot two out of the flock. The 

 snowflake is a terrestrial bird, and only under ex- 

 ceptional circumstances they are found perching 

 upon trees, and in this instance the land was cov- 

 ered with deep soft snow which was probably the 

 cause of the flock alighting upon a tree on this 

 occasion. I have observed these birds here from 

 October 19th to April 26th, and on the latter date 

 in 1890, 1 shot a male specimen at Laprairie. Large 

 numbers are caught in horse-hair noose snares on 

 the Laprairie shore, set by the habitants, and are 

 sold in our markets at fifteen to twenty cents per 

 dozen, and are considered very good eating. 



Genus Calcarias. Bech stein. 



173. Lapland Long spur. C. lapponicus. (Linn.) 



u Winter Visitant," rare. This species is occa- 

 sionally found accompanying the preceding one, and 

 are sometimes exposed for sale in our markets mixed 

 in with a bunch of snowbirds. 



