1897] Ornithology. 121 



inate slaughter and nest robbing. It is fond of orchards and it 

 «ests in trees of considerable siz'e, mostly in a fork, the nest 

 being bulky, rough outside, though compact,and not unfrequently 

 lined with clay within. Its eggs, generally five in number, are green- 

 ish blue. It arrives late in March or early in April, according to 

 the season, and leaves late in October, taking to wooded pastures 

 and thickets prior to its final start. This bird is so well known 

 that it needs no description. 



Although its depredations on fruit trees, especially the 

 cherry, are heavy, its splendid song and its usefulness in the 

 destruction of noxious insects, makes amends for its fondness- 

 for fruit. At the break up of winter its thrilling notes, especially 

 in the early morning are hailed as the overture to the great bird 

 concert of the other feathered songsters to follow. The males. 

 are the first to arrive and in a few days the females join them. 



It would be interesting to ascertain if any of these birds 

 really remain during winter, whether such are not wounded 

 birds, or incapacitated in some way for a long flight. — H. B.. 

 Small. 



Bird Notes for September. 



Tame Pigeons Eating CJiickiueed. — The Common Chick- 

 weed (yStellaria media, Smith)J is by no means a weed of 

 frequent occurrence in Manitoba, but in some damp localities 

 it is sometimes abundant and very troublesome. In Sep- 

 tember last, whilst staying at Manitoba House with my 

 brother-in-law, Mr David Armit, who has charge of the Hudson 

 Bay Post on Lake Manitoba, I had an opportunity of witnessing 

 what I had before heard of the avidity with which tame pigeons 

 in that locality feed upon the seed pods of Chickweed. The 

 pods only were nipped off, and these were apparently swallowed 

 whole. The birds seemed to spend a great deal of time on the 

 patches of this weed which had grown most luxuriantly and was- 



