50 ORNITHOLOGIST 
Cardinal I have several times taken a female of 
whose sex I was uncertain up to the very moment 
of dissection. A male Nonpareil, after the mid- 
summer moult, “fades out” in a few days to plain 
green and yellow, a few blue feathers in the top 
and sides of the head being the last to disappear 
as they are the first to appear in the spring. 
Our migrating waders are the most difficult 
class of birds which I have studied in connection 
with aptoso-chromatism. I find, however, that 
the Black-billed Plover, Red-breasted Snipe, 
Sanderling and Turnstone show a tolerably even 
ratio between perfect plumage and the develop- 
ment of the sexual organs, independent of the 
stage of moult. In the Black-billed Plover this 
is the most apparent ; specimens with full testes 
showed black “pin-feathers,” while in those with 
small testes the pin-feathers were almost invaria- 
bly white at the tips. 
This exhausts my notes up to the present time. 
During the coming season I shall, from lack of 
time, be obliged to discontinue them, as my pres- 
ent engagements will necessitate a fuller investi- 
gation of birds’ food than of other, and to me, 
more interesting data. 
I expect and invite criticism. Most of my cor- 
respondents for the past few years, I think, I may 
now safely style converts, and I think that any 
one who will carefully dissect and make notes 
upon over a thousand specimens during the next 
season, as I have done during the past, will ar- 
rive at conclusions very similar to mine. 
pe Se 
Florida Birds in January, 1886. 

BY A, L. BROWNE, ORLANDO, FLA. 

A few pleasant days at the commencement of 
the month ended inastorm on the 8th, followed 
by a very severe cold wave on the 9th, which 
lasted until about the'middle of the month, then 
warm, sunny days followed until the last week, 
when came cool, rainy, weather, the month closing 
with two or three parting sunny days. 
The cold spell put a sudden stop to the increas- 
ing song of many of the birds and but little was 
seen of most species while it lasted. A few birds 
in the grove seemed to lose all fear of man and 
came about the house in search of food, paying 
but little attention to persons close by. A Red- 
poll Warbler in particular came at times within 
four feet of me as I stood on the porch of the house 
and a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher exceeded this by 
alighting on me for a moment on its way to the 
porch behind me. One House Wren went further 
yet, for finding an entrance above a door he en- 
[ Vol. 

1-No. 4 

tered the house and went from room to room quite 
unconcerned as to any one’s presence. 
On the 138th, after the most severe weather was 
over I found quite a large flock of Yellowbirds 
among the grass in the pine woods, but saw none 
after that date. Before this I had seen no more 
than three together at a time. The 16th I found 
a large flock of Robins in an orange grove and 
about the adjoining pines. They uttered frequent 
alarm notes, but allowed me to approach quite 
near. In two days all large flocks had divided 
into scattered groups and single birds, which were 
distributed plentifully through the pine woods 
and occasionally entered the city. Their sudden 
appearance was probably due to the unusually 
cold weather, as they are not ordinarily found here » 
in any abundance during the winter. They de- 
creased little if any in numbers during the re- 
mainder of the month. 
Beside the Robins, only two new birds were 
seen this month. Saw one Hermit Thrush in the 
high hummock on the 13th, and again on the 
20th. A flock of Red-winged Blackbirds first — 
appeared amidst a group of trees in the city early 
in the month and remained there during the cold 
weather. This species and the Purple Grackle 
became two of the most conspicuous birds of the 
month, flocks of both frequented the groves about 
the city and late in the afternoon large numbers 
were to be seen flying in straggling groups over 
the pine woods toward the swamps. One Brown 
Thrush seen in the high hummock on the 13th, 
Probably sime one that was seen in December, 
but it had little of the shyness, which it then 
showed. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers not often seen. 
Great Carolina Wren seen in a high hummock 
on the 13th and 20th. American Titlark fre- 
quently seen in small numbers; one good sized 
flock on the 28th about newly plowed land. Red- 
poll Warbler about as plenty as during the latter 
part of December. Maryland Yellow-throat not 
as plenty. Savannah Sparrow quite scarce, only 
a few solitary individuals seen. Grass Finch 
rather more abundant, usually in small flocks. 
Chipping Sparrow much more abundant, found 
frequently in very large flocks, unaccompanied by 
other species, the smaller flocks however usually 
contained a few Red-poll Warblers as_ before. 
Meadow Larks plenty on the 18th and Bist, 
seldom seen at other times. Whistling briskly on 
the 18th. Killdeer Plover still growing less 
plenty, rarely seen this month. Of the Heron 
fumily only the Great White Egret was seen on 
one or two days. 
The warm weather following the cold spell, 
brought an increased return of song, and the notes 
