114 JOURNAL, AND PROCEEDINGS 



dwellings. This latter species examines carefully the pine 

 cones, and with their pointed beak nip out the seeds from 

 between the scales remaining on the branches of the varieties 

 of evergreen trees, such as Pine, Cedar, Spruce and Hemlock. 



During the dreariest portion of the winter-time, family 

 parties of the Chicadee and Nut Hatches visited our gardens 

 and door yards where food crumbs and kitchen floor sweep- 

 ings happened to be placed as inducements, and in the shacks 

 and rude huts of shelter where woodcutters in the bush dined 

 or lunched, and where kitchen refuse, such as potato or apple 

 rinds, or similar etceteras. In these precincts the diminutive 

 winged fraternity readily perceive it to be to their advantage 

 to congregate, and where usually there are no domestic feline 

 enemies to keep the feathered tribes in awe. 



It is asserted that Foxes are now nearly exterminated 

 from this and several adjoining counties, and also that there 

 has been a great diminution in the number of Racoon and 

 Mephitis (skunk) pelts brought to the notice of the local fur 

 merchants during the present winter. 



With the disappearance of large areas of forest in this 

 district, the sparseness of feral life excites no surprise. The 

 enhanced price of building materials and lumber, suitable for 

 farm and other implements and household furniture manu- 

 facturing, are causing the forests to disappear in this part of 

 the province more speedily than there was any conception of 

 one or two decades ago. 



A few rodents of the Canadian hare species yet find 

 congenial shelter and food in the remnants of the big cedar 

 swamps, and the prolific gray rabbits are kept somewhat in 

 check by the raptorial birds—Eagle, Owls, Marsh and other 

 large Hawks. Woodcutters aver that the brightly ornamented 

 Blue Jay, Perisoreus Canadensis, Canadian Jay, is far from 

 extinct, but clings more and more to unfrequented forest 

 solitudes. A pair of Whiskey Jacks were seen near here two 

 years ago, and one of the two was shot and its plumage and 

 skin well preserved by a taxidermist. This is a very rare 

 species so far south as Brant County. 



