OUR WINTER BIRDS I53 



14 there were ten records, more than in all the other winters put 

 together. From these figures we may see that the Snowflake is 

 very irregular and unsually very rare. Just why this should be I 

 am at a loss to know, for Notre Dame lies within a snow-belt 

 about forty miles wide. One would expect a snow-loving species 

 to be more regular in its appearance in such a place. 



Goldfinch 

 Astragalinns tristis 

 As a winter species the Goldfinch is usually rare, if not very 

 rare. Of the eight winters under consideration, there were five 

 whose total number of records for this species was but five. The 

 other three winters totalled 26 records, which shows that the 

 Goldfinch was always rare. The birds travel in small flocks in 

 winter, and unless the observer finds their feeding or drinking 

 places, he may seldom see them. 



Brown Creeper 



Certhia familiaris americana 



Comparing the two sets of years, I find that in the first there 

 were 13 winter records for the Brown Creeper, and in the second 

 74 records. At first sight it would seem incredible that such dis- 

 parity in distrubution could be shown for a species that is usually 

 rare in winter. But the records obtained are conclusive that the 

 difference was real. To account for a notable increase in at least 

 one season, 1914-15, by the fact that this winter was very mild, 

 seems satisfactory enough. On the other hand, the very small 

 number of records, 13, made in the four first seasons cannot be 

 attributed to the greater severity of those winters; there ought at 

 least to be an average number for each year that would not greatly 

 exceed the average of each of the other four years. Even by 

 eliminating the largest record, 40, in 19 14-15, this mean yearly 

 average cannot be shown. From these facts we must conclude that 

 the Brown Creeper is one of the most irregular winter species. 



Song Sparrow 



Melospiza melodia 



The records for the Song Sparrow in eight winters show only 



two for the four winters, 1909-10 to 1912-13, and 45 records for 



the four succeeding winters. Of course it were worthless to make 



any comparison between these figures, and the only obvious thing 



