Notes on Land Birds. 141 



or perhaps on the snow buntings, large flocks of which were always 

 feeding there. At the end of January, I was shown a specimen 

 said to have been shot near Montreal a few days before I saw iL 



Syrnium nebulosum. Linn. Barred Owl. I shot a specimen 

 of this species on 21st January, It was sitting in a tree in a small 

 wood on Nun's Island and was very tame and stupid. It had 

 some animal like a small rat almost whole in its stomach and was 

 the fattest bird I ever skinned, the entire body being covered with 

 a thick coating of hard white fat. Another specimen was killed 

 on St. Helen's Island in January, and several others were exposed 

 for sale in the markets. 



Certhia familiaris. Linn^ Brown Creeper. This little bird 

 was numerous on the 6th February in the woods on Nun's Island,, 

 flying from tree to tree in company with the black-capt tits and 

 nuthatches. I shot several specimens. The weather at the time 

 was extremely mild. 



Parus atricapillus. Linn. Black cap Tit. Very numerous 

 every where round Montreal throughout the winter. 



Turdus migratorius. Linn., Robin. One shot November 6ih 

 in a swamp near Monklands. I saw a bird which I thought was 

 a robin in December and another at the beginning of January.* 



Plectrophanes nivalis. Linn., Snow Bunting. Very abundant. 

 In January large flocks were always to be seen feeding in the 

 farm-yard on Nun's Island. When alarmed they would fly np 

 and pitch in a long row on the ridge of the roof of the farm 

 buildings, alighting again as soon as the danger was past. One 

 specimen which I shot there had its crop full of the sprouted 

 seeds of onions or leeks, and its whole body partook of their odour. 

 In others, shot at the same time, I found grains of wheat and some 

 small seeds. They also feed much on the seeds of a species of 

 Euphorbia when the snow is not too deep. Their white bodies 

 and black wings give them a^very curious and peculiar appearance 

 when seen against a clear winter sky. 



Niphoea hyemalis. Linn. Common snow-bird. This species 

 continued abundant up to the second week in November, after 

 which I lost sight of them.f 



Linaria minor, Ray, Lesser red poll. First observed 24th 

 November, but not numerou s till beginning of February, when 

 immense flocks appeared in the neighbourhood and continued 



* Spring arrival, 13th April, 1857. 

 t Spring arrival, 5th April, 1857. 



