December, 1922. 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



167 



movement serves no apparent purpose, being 

 merely a nervous habit. It would be interesting 

 to know whence it came and what was its original 

 purpose. Why have the American Pipit the 

 Palm Warbler, the Spotted Sandpiper, and others 

 this tail teetering habit. The Pipit leaves about 

 the middle of October. 



79. Troglodytes aedon. House Wren. — This 

 Wren can often be found in the same localities as 

 the Winter Wren, thus belying its name. The 

 facts are that there are far more old Woodpecker 

 holes and hollow stumps in the \^joods than nooks 

 and crannies about the settlement. It is not 

 unusual here to find the two Wrens nesting but a 

 few yards from each other. On one occasion I 

 put a number of tin cans in suitable places but 

 none were occupied as the birds evidently preferred 

 their natural cavities. The House Wren dis- 

 appears earlier than the Winter Wren. By the 

 first of October the former is gone whilst the latter 

 remains until later in the month. 



80. Nannus hiemalis. Winter Wren. — This 

 mouse-like little bird was commonly seen slinking 

 amongst the underbrush. It is difficult to observe 

 on account of its dull markings and its retiring and 

 active habits. I found that it uttered, when 

 alarmed, a single note not unlike that of the Song 

 Sparrow and it often escaped from one brush pile 

 to another, flying very low and even under the 

 leaves of the low shrubs that crowd the floor of 

 the forest. When undisturbed the Winter Wren 

 indulges in a beautiful liquid song, full of little 

 runs, trills and warbles given in different keys, 

 the whole being continuous and lasting several 

 moments. In fall it is less abundant and quite 

 silent. 



81. Certhia familiaris. BROWN Creeper. — 

 Rather rare transient. The Creepers appear in 

 May and occasionally then I have heard them 

 break into a faint wheezy song of five notes not 

 unlike that of the Black-throated Green Warbler, 

 but less musical. Creepers are absent all summer 

 but appear again in September when they are 

 silent but for a long, wiry "scree" a note which 

 seems to keep the flock together. 



82. Sitla canadensis. Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatch. — This is the only Nuthatch for which I 

 have records in the locality. It is a common 

 summer resident, usually confined to the coniferous 

 woods. It may appear in the winter but I have 

 never seen it then. 



83. Penthestes atricapillus. Black-capped 

 Chickadee. — The Chickadee appears to be a 

 transient visitant, being common in late spring, 

 absent or not observed in the summer and re- 

 appearing in the fall about the end of September. 

 I have seen them on one or two occasions in winter. 



In fall migration when in greatest numbers they 

 are always in company with Kinglets, Brown 

 Creepers and Red-breasted Nuthatches. 



84. Regulus satrapa. Golden-crowned King- 

 let. — A common summer resident. There were 

 usually two or three together when met with in the 

 thick woods but as far as I could see they showed 

 no signs of nesting and were never long in one 

 place. They were most abundant from September 

 10th until October. 



85. Regulus calendula. Ruby-crowned King- 

 let. — Found only rarely throughout the summer 

 and then generally but single individuals. About 

 the middle of September they became mor com- 

 mon along with the Golden-crown but never in as 

 great numbers. They move freely about in a flock 

 of many mixed Kinglets and I should judge the 

 proportion of numbers to be about five to one. 

 The note of the Golden-crowned Kinglet at this 

 season is the usual quiet "s-s-s" like three s's and 

 rarely anything else. In fall, besides having a 

 loud "cacA:" not unlike the note of a Wren, the 

 Ruby-crown often breaks forth into a fragment of 

 its spring song. They are evidently migrants 

 through September and October for they are very 

 restless and seldom seen later. 



86. Hylocichla fuscescens. Veery. — Tolerably 

 common summer resident. Generally found in 

 the same habitat as the Olive-backed. I have 

 sometimes heard the two singing together in the 

 the same woods in the evening. The Veery is the 

 least shy of our common Thrushes and the least 

 suspicious of man. I have never heard it sing in 

 the fall. 



[Hylocichla alicise. Gray-cheeked Thrush 

 — There is every probability that I have seen the 

 Gray-cheeked Thrush but have not been able to 

 separate it with certainty from the very similar 

 Olive-backed.] 



87. Hylocichla ustulata. Olive-backed 

 Thrush. — A common summer re-^^ident. Unlike 

 the Hermit Thrush, it does not diminish in num- 

 bers as the season advances. It is by far the 

 commonest Thrush in song, especially in the 

 evening and to be heard even into August. Dur- 

 ing September it is even more silent than the Her- 

 mit Thrush, though I have reason to believe it 

 then just as common. 



88. Hylocichla guttata. Hermit Thrush. — 

 Apparently a transient. Throughout the month 

 of May it is tolerably common, several being seen 

 on almost any extended walk in their haunts. 

 In the evening they are often heard in full song, 

 a much fuller one than we ever hear in Toronto on 

 migration. There it seems to be fragments 

 uttered in a quiet way, but here the Hermit 

 Thrush gives himself up to a full, free, extensive, 

 singing. Through .July, August, and the first 



