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JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



extremely secretive, hiding in the 

 grass if alarmed, and flushing only 

 from one's feet. 



The possibility of finding its rela- 

 tive, Henslow's Sparrow, should also 

 "be kept in mind. The attention of 

 winter observers should be directed 

 toward the direction of the large and 

 beautiful Bohemian waxwing and care 

 should be exercised not to confound it 

 with the common Cedar bird, which 

 rarely occurs at the same season. 



The Philadelphia Vireo is a bird whose 

 song and notes are much like those of 

 the Red-eyed species. In habits, it is 

 partial to alder groves and has yet to 

 have its Southern breeding limit in 

 our State, determined. 



A secretive pigmy among birds, is 

 the Marsh Wren. Inhabiting the flags 

 of reedy swamps and streams it is 

 difficult of observation and has so 

 far been positively identified at only 

 one section of the State. But there is 

 little doubt that it occurs at several 

 other stations and perhaps is not of 

 such limited distribution as our pres- 

 ent knowledge indicates. 



The Hudsonian Chicadee is a species 

 which it seems has its distribution 

 and status imperfectly understood. To 

 what extent it is a summer resident is 

 a question which I think should be 

 considered far more than in the past. 



The Wood Thrush, a species now 

 known only as a rare summer visitant 

 or resident, should be looked for 

 wherever the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, 

 Scarlet Tanger and House Wren are 

 regular visitants. The determination 

 of its range is a phenomena of much 

 value in considering the limits of the 

 Alleghanian fauna in Maine. It should 

 be sought even though the results be 

 negative. Two other thrushes claim 

 attention. One, the darker form of the 

 Wilson's Thrush, lately recorded as 

 a late migrant through the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. This should be looked for 

 also in the collections now extant. 



The Bicknells' Thrush should also 

 be looked for during migrations, and 

 upon the islands at our eastern bound- 

 ary, even westerly to Mt. Desert, if 

 not to Isle au Haute. Its northern 

 breeding limit is unknown. The 

 Wheatear may be confidently ex- 

 pected to occur in Maine, on rare oc- 

 casions, and should be patiently and 

 zealously watched for. 



Indeed with our vast area of unex- 

 plored territory, our small number of 

 observers, zeal and patience are the 

 requirements of success in the demon- 

 stration of the numerous problems 

 which, mentioned and unmentioned. 

 confront us. 



A DESPERATE ENCOUNTER BE- 

 TWEEN A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE 

 AND A SNAKE. 



On April 28th of last year, while 

 riding along the Pond road, so-called, 

 in the town of Manchester, I experi- 

 enced a most novel and remarkable 

 adventure, one of those strange and 

 curious happenings which falls to the 

 lot of the amateur naturalist but once 

 in a life time to observe and to partici- 

 pate in. 



While travelling beside a field, con- 

 taining a few apple trees and bordering 

 upon the highway, my attention was 

 attracted to a bunch of gray and 

 white feathers tumbling about in the 

 grass somewhat after the manner of 

 a hen whose head had been chopped 

 off. A homely comparison, perhaps, 

 but it fits the case exactly and instant- 

 ly came into my mind as I watched it 

 with surprise. 



The object was within a few feet of 

 the roadway and as I drew nearer I 

 saw it was a Shrike of some kind and 

 in serious trouble but just what the 

 nature of the difficulty was. it was im- 



