Notes from Field and Study 



113 



tailed Sparrows and numerous Meadow- 

 larks. In piles along the channel, at the 

 edge of the bay, Tree Swallows were 

 nesting in company with Flickers and 

 Starlings. Here the Fish Hawks erected 

 their nests right on the fishing-grounds, 

 where their offspring lie on the floor of 

 their home staring at the blackfish, 

 cunners, and snappers, swimming in the 

 clear water below. 



In the vicinity of the interesting Island 

 a pair of Clapper Rails were nesting. 

 Although common in the western sec- 

 tions of Long Island, they are extremely 

 rare toward the eastern end, and this is 

 the first record of their breeding near 

 Orient. — Roy Latham, Orient, L. I. 



A Problem in Food-Supply and 

 Distribution 



During the winter of 191 2-13, the 

 spruces of Nova Scotia bore an abundant 

 crop of cones, well filled with seed. As a 

 consequence, Red-breasted Nuthatches 

 were very common throughout the pro- 

 vince during the winter, an unusual con- 

 dition. Crossbills were likewise abundant, 

 occurring often in large flocks, some of 

 which must have contained as many as five 

 or six hundred individuals. This winter, 

 I have but once seen Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatches, a pair being observed on Jan- 

 uary 24, and Crossbills are also com- 

 paratively very scarce. This condition 

 prevails throughout Nova Scotia, and, 

 when we examine the conifers, we find, as 

 we should expect, that the crop of seed 

 is very light. So far all is plain enough. I 

 had supposed that the majority of the 

 above species, depending largely on the 

 seeds of coniferous trees for food, had 

 migrated southward during the autumn, 

 and were now in the New England and 

 Middle Atlantic states. On looking over 

 the results of the last Christmas bird 

 census, as published in Bird-Lore for 

 February of this year, I find, however, 

 that this supposition is apparently only 

 very partially correct. In North America 

 east of the Alleghanies, Crossbills and 

 Red-breasted Nuthatches are reported 



practically from the State of Massachu- 

 setts alone, and from the rest of the coun- 

 try the reports of them are very few and 

 far between. Presumably the conifers of 

 Massachusetts bore a good crop of seed 

 this winter. But are the great majority of 

 the Crossbills and Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatches of eastern North America crowded 

 within the confines of Massachusetts? 

 If so, we should expect to find them in 

 large numbers in the reports from that 

 state. To a slight extent this is so, for 

 Mr. Lester E. Pratt reports from East 

 Carver, Mass., fifty Red-breasted Nut- 

 hatches, an unusual number to be observed 

 in three hours. But this species is men- 

 tioned in only one other report from the 

 state, and the numbers of Crossbills 

 reported are not at all phenomenal. 

 Where, then, are the great majority of 

 these three species? They are not here, 

 in their breeding-range; they are not in 

 their customary winter range to the south- 

 ward. It would seem that either they 

 have perished from some cause, probably 

 lack of food, or else they have migrated, 

 in search of food, to some region from 

 which no reports were 'received. The 

 only considerable territory in North 

 America north of Mexico to come under 

 this head is that covered by the great 

 forests of northern Canada, and it is to be 

 regretted that no census was sent from 

 this extensive area. It would be most 

 interesting to know that these species, 

 or a large part of them, had migrated 

 northward at the approach of winter 

 because they found thus a more favorable 

 food-supply. However, that is theory. 



I hope that some readers of Bird-Lore 

 may be able to throw light on this ques- 

 tion. — Harrison F. Lewis, Antigonish, 

 N. S. 



Evening Grosbeaks and Other Winter 

 Birds at Hartford, Conn. 



On Saturday afternoon, February 21, 

 following our customary habit on a half- 

 holiday, and nothwithstanding the nearly 

 three feet of snow on the level, we decided 

 to see what could be found in the way of 



