THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 79 



but within the past year or two they have come east to the Missis- 

 sippi, many having spent last winter near Minneapohs, and St. Paul 

 in Minnesota. During December, 1889, about the time the birds 

 would be moving southward, we were visited by severe gales from 

 the west and northwest. Either the birds were caught in these and 

 carried eastward against their wishes, or finding a warm moist belt 

 extending far east into a new country where food was plenty, they 

 came on, led by some daring leader ambitious of exploring new ter- 

 ritory, and visited us in numbers far in excess of anything previously 

 known in the history of the species. 



My first knowledge of their presence among us was from a 

 friend who, on the 19th of December, brought me a pair which he 

 had shot on the north shore of the bay near the powder house. I 

 took an early opportunity to visit the locality, and found a flock 

 of 20 or 30, males and females here being in about equal unmbers, 

 feeding on the berries of the red cedar. They were by no means shy, 

 but when disturbed went off east with a peculiar rattling call note. 

 A few days afterwards I found a flock again at the same place, and was 

 at a loss to know whether the same birds had returned, but this lot 

 also went off east, and subsequently I learned that they had reached 

 Toronto. It was now evident that those we daily noticed here were 

 flocks passing from west to east, and this movement was kept up 

 steadily till the ist of February, when the eastern migration ceased. 

 I learned from newspaper notices and correspondents that they had 

 been seen at every town and village along the north shore of the 

 lake, and a few got as far as Quebec. The bulk of the migration 

 passed over into New York State, and were very generally distri- 

 buted, delighting the eyes of many a lover of birds by their sprightly 

 presence during the dull days of winter, when bird life is' at its low- 

 est ebb. Finding things to their liking in the east they were in no 

 hurry to return, though small flocks were observed moving west- 

 ward durmg March and April. As late as the beginning of May some 

 were seen among the evergreens near this city, which led to the hope 

 that they might remain and make their home with us permanently. 

 We should be greatly pleased if such were the case, because, besides 

 being pleasing objects to look upon they are fine songsters, and being 

 very powerful birds, they might serve to keep in check the increase 

 of the English sparrow, which seems at present determined to drive 

 every other bird of similar size from the country. 



