lAA McIlwraith on Winter Birds of Western Ontario. [July 



While here they kept in small flocks, seldom exceeding- eight 

 in number, the proportion of adults in crimson dress being about 

 one in twenty. Their forenoons were usually spent in feeding on 

 the berries of the mountain ash, wherever they could be found ; 

 they were in the most frequented thoroughfares ; and where the 

 trees overhung the streets, the sidewalks were soon littered with 

 the pulpy part of the berries, the birds using only the hard seeds. 

 As the season advanced the supply of berries gave out, and they 

 then resorted to the buds of the larch, and also fed freely on the 

 fruit of such apples as they found still hanging on the trees in the 

 orchards. In the afternoon they retired to the evergreens for 

 rest and shelter. While here they showed the most gentle, 

 sociable disposition, enjoying each other's company and keeping 

 up communication by a series of soft call-notes. Occasionally, 

 when all was still, a male would indulge in a low, soft warbling 

 song of considerable duration, which I could fancy might be de- 

 lightfully soothing in the stillness of a sick chamber, but too low 

 to be appreciated by human ears under ordinary circumstances. 



Toward the end of February the weather softened a lij;tle and 

 the birds all left. This mild spell, however, was followed in a 

 few days by a north-easter, accompanied with snow and sleet. 

 Before it broke the birds returned again and sought their former 

 shelter among the evergreens. This occurred on three successive 

 occasions, but each time they returned in smaller nvu-nbers, and 

 after the first departure none in the red plumage were seen. As 

 late as the first of April a few were observed in the city, but 

 they were evidently in ti'ansit and, calling loudly for company, 

 seemed anxious to be ofli". 



I think it quite probable that the peculiarities of the weather this 

 season may have brought birds together which never saw each other 

 before ; at all events, it was a most unusual thing for us to see 

 Pine Grosbeaks, Meadow Larks, Robins, Crossbills, Redpolls, 

 Bluebirds, Song Sparrows, Tree Sparrows, all in one short excui"- 

 sion. 



Being desirous of securing a few Grosbeaks where it could be 

 done without breach of the city by-law, which forbids the use of 

 fire-arms within the city limits, I made several excursions to the 

 country during the severe weather for this purpose, and also to 

 satisfy myself as to what birds were really wintering with us, 

 and how they fared during the season of unusual severity. 



