1889. ] Cox, A Bird Wave. 241 
strange departure from the general run of Wren songs that it was not 
until I had been repeatedly fooled that I finally accepted it as a case of 
‘truth stranger than fiction.’ 
54. Certhia familiaris americana. BROWN CREEPER. — A single indi- 
vidual observed at Cisco. 
55- Sitta carolinensis. WHITE-BELLIED NurHarcu.—Fairly abundant 
everywhere. 
56. Parus atricristatus. BLACK-CRESTED ‘TITMOUSE. — Extremely 
common throughout the County; not distinguishable by note or habits 
from &zcolor, but conspicuous for the black crest plainly visible when 
close by. 
57. Parus carolinensis agilis. PLUumBEOous TiTMouSE. — It was with 
pleasure that I found Mr. Sennett’s variety in this locality and fairly 
common. Those mentioned by him from southwestern Texas were taken 
some distance from this locality, thus giving me the pleasure of extending 
its range some distance north and east. 
58. Polioptila czrulea. BLUuE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. — Rare. A few 
observed along the Leon and Satana Rivers. 
59. Sialia sialis. BLursirp.—One of the commonest of Texas birds, 
seen everywhere. 
A BIRD WAVE. 
BY PHILIP COX. 
Ear_y one morning in April, 1885, I started from Newcastle, 
New Brunswick, for a day’s duck shooting on the Miramichi 
River, which was then free of ice. Snow was falling when I 
left my house, the tumbling flakes forming a strange contrast with 
the blossoms, bursting buds, and catkins of the trees and shrubs. 
Presently birds were seen flying eastward, and upon looking up- 
ward, through the snow, which was by this time falling thick and 
fast, I saw hundreds of Robins (Merula migratoria), Song 
Sparrows (Melospiza fasctata), and Juncos ( Funco hyemalis) 
mingled together in an unbroken column and _ passing noiselessly 
on. Some of the birds were only a few feet above the tops of 
the tallest trees, while others were higher up, the column extend- 
ing so far skyward that the topmost line could with difficulty be 
outlined amid the falling flakes. The width of the column—from 
flank to flank — appeared to average about twenty-five yards. 
