24 NATURE IN ACADIE. 



marked with a stripe of pure white in the centre of the 

 crown, bordered on each side by a stripe of black, these 

 again being succeeded by another line of pure white 

 above the eye, with a yellow spot just in front of the 

 latter ; on the throat is a patch of silvery white from 

 which the bird derives its name. 



There were several crows about the woods, and I 

 also came across a small party of American robins 

 feeding on the ground in the woods. On being dis- 

 turbed they flew up uttering a low chuck and settled on 

 the bare limbs of the neighbouring trees, where they 

 appeared to be reconnoitring ; their call-note was a 

 shrill whistle. The alarm note and the habit of flying 

 up on to a bare branch reminded me very strongly of 

 our redwing (Turdus iliacus), but systematists say that 

 its nearest old world relative is the blackbird (T. merulus), 

 and they have accordingly placed it in the sub-genus 

 Merula, of which the latter species is the type. 



The " migratory thrush," as it is also sometimes 

 called, is a handsome species, and one of America's most 

 typical birds. It leaves Nova Scotia about the end of 

 October or the first week in November, moving south- 

 ward to its winter quarters, and returning to the 

 province again during the first week of April. 



By the roadside I observed a fine specimen of the 

 red admiral butterfly (Pyrameis atalanta) ; it settled upon 

 stones with the wings expanded and was extremely 

 swift in its flight. The American form of this insect 

 is, I believe, regarded as racially distinct from the 

 European, but the ordinary observer would certainly 

 fail to detect any difference, either in appearance or 

 habits. There is also a " white admiral" found some- 

 what commonly in Nova Scotia ; it rather resembles 

 the European variety, and I have seen it labelled as 

 such in provincial collections, I believe, however, the 

 species is designated Limenitis arthemis. 



I visited the same woods again on November 12, and 

 was fortunate in meeting with one or two Hudsonian 

 chickadees in company with the golden-crowned king- 

 lets. This chickadee is not nearly so common in the 



